After the World's End
by XpaperplaneX
Summary: Offered up as payment to an alpha for ridding the town of monsters, Cloud discovers that the outside world is vastly different than he expected, and that he could play a role in changing it.
1. Leaving Home

Full summary: Offered up as payment to an alpha for ridding the town of monsters, Cloud discovers that the outside world is vastly different than he expected, and that he could play a role in changing it.

Sephiroth never wanted to mate, preferring his independence as a SOLDIER that allows him to travel the world at his leisure. When he finds himself caring for a traumatized omega, however, his values start to shift.

A/N: So perhaps 10 or so years ago, there was a prompt on the kink meme that asked for omega Cloud to be given as payment to alpha Sephiroth and beta Zack. I recall a request for sex on chocoback as a part of it. Being young and innocent, I had no idea what any of that nonsense was. Now that I'm old and not so innocent, this is not a fill for that prompt, but it is ever so slightly based on it.

Warnings/enticements for this story include, but aren't limited to: alpha/omega dynamics, heat, knotting, mating, sexual violence and rape involving adults as well as minors (though not between the main pair)

XXX

Sephiroth surveyed the small gathering of people with disinterest. "So you can't pay? I suppose we have ways of working that out. We always need manual labourers and domestic help in Midgar."

"You'd take—" The mayor sputtered indignantly.

"Only a half dozen or so, depending on the quality. A girl or two for the brothels wouldn't hurt your case." He cast his gaze over to a young woman with an ample chest and smirked as she blushed.

The mayor stepped in front of her, looking furious. "That's my daughter!"

"That's hardly my problem. Shinra demands immediate payment of debts for services rendered. Bring out everyone who's between fifteen and twenty and I'll take my pick. I'll keep an eye on your daughter while I wait. I'd hate for her to go missing."

Angry murmuring broke out amongst the people and there was some hushed discussion between the mayor and several others. Sephiroth just smirked at the trembling girl who looked about ready to flee. It didn't take too long before the mayor turned back to him.

"Sir, we have an omega, if you'd be interested in him as an alternative."

So the rumours were true after all. That was a relief. He didn't actually have a plan for what he'd do if he ended up with a bunch of kidnapped youths in tow. Dump them at the bottom of the mountain to let them find their way back, he supposed. He raised a casual eyebrow. "An omega?"

"We were planning to send him to auction soon, but we'd be honoured if you would consider him."

He shrugged. "Let me see him."

A couple of men dispatched themselves to a tiny house across the square, and Sephiroth continued to leer at the mayor's daughter while he waited. It wouldn't hurt to keep the pressure on. He really hated it when they had to buy omegas off these backwater betas. Giving them money just felt so wrong.

The alpha in him surged to the surface as shouting broke out across the square. He looked up to see the two men hauling a struggling third between them. He was much smaller, but he was giving them a real fight.

"Let me go! You can't do this to me!"

Sephiroth suppressed a growl when the smaller man was struck across the face, but he strode forwards quickly to meet them. All three stilled at his approach, though the omega was still shaking with both anger and fear.

"This is him, sir. The real deal."

"Yes, I can tell. I'll thank you to not hit him again, he's in bad enough shape as it is."

The man who had hit him cringed as Sephiroth stepped forward and lifted the omega's chin, forcing him to look at him. Bright blue eyes glared at him defiantly even as blood dribbled from his swelling lip.

"Don't you fucking touch me," he snarled.

Sephiroth ignored the threat and looked him over. Skinny and bruised, but nothing that looked too serious at a glance.

"Well, sir?" the mayor asked hopefully. "He's sterilized, of course, but we've kept him a virgin like we're supposed to. His next heat should be in about a week. Once he's mated his attitude should improve, right?"

The omega spat in his face before renewing his struggle. "Don't you dare! Don't you fucking dare!"

Sephiroth feigned annoyance and wiped off his face. "I'll inspect him first. You're aware that alphas can tell if they're virgins or not, yes?"

The mayor blanched. "O—of course. No one's touched him, I swear. Well, get his clothes off, the SOLDIER wants to inspect him." He gestured to one of the other men who was observing, but Sephiroth held up a hand to stop him as the omega kicked wildly.

"Apologies, but I'm not about to give a bunch of betas a show." He stepped forwards and grabbed the omega by the waist, heaving him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He ignored the screaming and the blows raining down on him from fists and feet and turned to the mayor. "I assume he has a bed in there?" He pointed to the house they had brought him from.

"Yes, sir, but if you don't want him, please leave him a virgin. He'll get a better price that way. We've invested a lot in his upkeep."

Sephiroth just sneered and readjusted the screaming omega on his shoulder as he carried him inside. The house was barely more than a shack. The first of two doors leading off the tiny kitchen opened on a dank-smelling toilet and shower, the second on a bedroom, consisting of a stained bed and nothing else. A huge investment, he was sure. He shut the door behind him and dropped the omega on his back on the bed. He started to scramble away, but Sephiroth pinned him down and clamped his teeth over the pale flesh of his throat in one swift movement.

The omega immediately stilled and silence filled the room. In place of the screaming, Sephiroth could hear the frantic beating of the boy's heart. He held him in the vulnerable position for several minutes until it had slowed slightly and some of the tension had left the muscles under him. Slowly, he relaxed his jaw and eased back slightly, just far enough to be able to talk.

"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."

There was a skeptical snort from above his head. "Sure, gotta keep the fuck toy in good shape."

"Shh, I know you're frightened, but I need you to try to stay calm and think rationally. Would you really rather stay here than come with me? The mayor said they were going to auction you off soon."

There was a frightened moan and Sephiroth's instincts roared at him to protect and comfort. He held himself in check, however; he had no idea what the boy knew of alphas and didn't want to frighten him further.

"So my choices are get fucked into submission by you or be handed over to the wolves in Midgar. Great. I suppose I should get down on my knees and thank you."

"Were they going to take you to Midgar?" Sephiroth asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"What's it to you?"

"I'd heard that some of these remote areas don't bother going to Midgar. Apparently there are sufficiently wealthy betas these days who can make the trip not worth it. But you know that you'll need to mate with an alpha, and soon, right? Judging by your scent, I'd say you've got about six or seven heats left before being unmated will begin to affect your health."

"And you think that means I should just spread my legs for you? Why are you even talking to me? I thought alphas couldn't help themselves around omegas."

"I'm perfectly capable of controlling myself and have no intention of fucking someone who doesn't want to be fucked."

"You—What?"

"I'm not going to rape you. And no, before you assume, I'm not going to wait until you're in heat and claim that you wanted it, either."

"I—I don't understand."

Sephiroth sighed and loosened his grip a bit. "That much is clear. Can I let go of you, or are you going panic again?"

There was a moment of silence before the omega spoke. "You can let go."

He pushed himself up and sat down on the bed, leaning against the wall. The omega lay there for a few more moments, looking a bit shell-shocked, before sitting up. He glanced around like he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself now.

"You can sit next to me if that's what your instincts are telling you to do. I won't do anything inappropriate. Being physically close to an alpha will help keep your mind clear and calm when you're scared." His own instincts were pitching a fit at him for leaving a frightened omega alone, and it was a struggle to not do something about it. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Cloud." The omega hugged himself and didn't move, though he looked at the spot next to Sephiroth longingly.

"Nice to meet you, Cloud. My name is Sephiroth. I think that you have a lot of misconceptions about alpha-omega relationships, and I can explain things to you, but I think that if you want to leave here, we should do so fairly soon before people start questioning what I'm doing, or rather, not doing to you." He held up his hand as Cloud opened his mouth to argue. "Leaving doesn't mean you have to mate with me. It only means that you don't have to stay here with people who are going to continue to beat you, keep you in miserable conditions, and barely feed you until they sell you for a profit."

"You … you're not going to force me to mate with you?"

Sephiroth gave a sad sigh as he fought to not reach for the boy. He hated that this was reality for so many omegas outside the capital and wished it were easier to intervene. Going their whole lives terrified that they'd end up with someone forcing themselves on them and being unable to resist. Being sold to betas who couldn't meet their needs and just fucked them until they died from lack of a mate. It wasn't right. "No, and no other alpha will either, I swear. You _do _need to mate, but I can take you to Midgar and you can find someone of your own choosing. Someone you can love."

Cloud frowned. "I can … choose? But—in Midgar—they buy us! You buy us like pieces of meat! Virgins up for auction!"

He gave up resisting and reached out to rub Cloud's shoulder. The effect it had on the omega was noticeable now that he wasn't in such a state of panic, and he leaned into the touch. Poor thing, it must have been awful. He doubted that he had ever been given physical comfort or affection. Even if it wasn't as effective as that from an alpha, betas could provide some as long as the omega felt safe. Cloud had clearly never had such an experience. "The auction is a sham. We buy omegas because it gives monsters like the people here a reason to not have you killed at birth. We say we want virgins because it keeps you from being raped before we're able to protect you. Please, will you come to Midgar with me? I don't want you to live like this anymore."

Cloud blinked at him, stunned. "I'd really be safe there?"

"I promise. You'll be with people who care about you and understand your needs."

"Okay," he said softly after a long pause.

"Let's get your things packed up, then."

"Things?" Cloud looked around the barren room and back at him. "You think I own anything?"

"Right … I suppose not. You at least have a dildo, though, right? If your heat's due in a week, it will be before we get to Midgar."

Cloud blushed and pushed himself off the bed. He pulled out a small box from underneath the bed and handed it to him. Curious, he opened it up to see a tube of cheap lubricant and a decently sized plastic dildo. He frowned when he took a closer look, however.

"This is just a regular dildo," he exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah …"

"And you've been managing your heats with it? Aren't you in pain?"

Cloud blinked at him like he was stupid. "Yeah, heats are supposed to hurt."

"Shit, no they're not! Even without a partner, you should be—dildos for omegas are supposed to be able to swell at the base, mimicking an alpha's knot. The knot lets your body calm down and allows the heat to diminish a bit while you rest. Without it, it just keeps going, which is what causes you pain. Fuck! I can't—Okay, let's just get you out of here. Nothing else you want to bring?"

Cloud shook his head, looking bewildered.

He glared at the box he was holding and replaced the lid. "We'll take this with us, just in case, but I'll do my best to get you a proper dildo before it hits. You shouldn't be suffering like this."

He was livid as he took Cloud by the hand and led him back outside. How could they do that to him? Someone in this damned village had to have known better!

"Well?" The mayor and his cronies were waiting outside. "Will you take him?"

"Yes, I'll fucking take him." He wrapped a protective arm around Cloud as they leered at him.

"Looks like getting fucked really does improve their attitudes," one of the cronies said to another, laughing. "Though _he _seems pretty pissed. Little Stormcloud must not've done a good job."

Sephiroth fought the urge to lash out as Cloud cringed and pressed himself into his side. "Get my chocobos. Now."

The betas laughed again as they jogged over to the stable, completely unaware of how close Sephiroth was to snapping. He needed to keep up the pretence of not particularly caring about omegas. If outsiders knew how much they valued them, they'd be at a huge disadvantage when it came it acquiring them. The best they could do was pay more for omegas who were in good condition, incentivizing people to treat them well.

"So he's a sufficient payment?" the mayor asked.

"Hardly." Sephiroth sneered. "He's too skinny and terrified of everything, not to mention being sterilized and the damage done by forcing him to use this piece of shit." He shook the box containing the dildo.

The mayor blanched again and looked towards a large house, where his daughter was most likely hidden away. "There's something wrong with it? And of course he's sterilized! You can't possibly expect us to want to risk _that_."

"If you don't fuck them, they don't get pregnant, it's pretty fucking simple, even for ignorant pieces of shit like you. And don't feed me that bullshit. Anyone with a lick of sense knows that omegas need a knotting dildo if they don't have an alpha. You may have found it fun keeping him desperate and in pain, but it has serious side effects on their health. I won't know if he's too far gone until his next heat, but if he is, you can rest assured that I'll be back for my full payment, plus interest."

Cloud gave a small whimper and clutched at his coat. Sephiroth made a sub-vocal purr that the omega would be able to feel, but the mayor wouldn't notice. Cloud started slightly when he noticed it, but then instinctively leaned in closer to the comforting vibration. He kept it up until the cronies reappeared, leading his two chocobos.

"Since you clearly have no idea how to care for them, I suggest that any future omegas born into this village be sold in Midgar immediately," he said as he lifted Cloud onto his riding chocobo's back before swinging up behind him. "We purchase the mothers as well."

He took the lead on the pack chocobo and wrapped his arm around Cloud's waist, tucking him in close to him. "Let's go, Birdy."

Once they were clear of the village, he slowed their pace and loosened his grip on Cloud slightly.

"Am I really that sick?" Cloud asked in a small voice.

"No, sorry, going through your heats like that doesn't actually negatively impact your health, apart from the pain and mental trauma, that is, until you're past the point of needing a mate. And then it just exacerbates the fallout of not having one. I didn't mean to worry you; I just needed to try and and make sure that they wouldn't do something like that again if they end up with another omega in the village. I admit, I also wanted to scare them a bit. Let them worry that I'll come back to haul their daughters off to the brothel."

Cloud snickered and Sephiroth leaned around to see a small smile on his lips.

"Look at that, you _can _smile."

The smile grew a bit bigger and Sephiroth sat up straight again and ruffled the omega's ragged blond hair that looked like it had been hacked at with a blunt knife. "We'll go a little further, then I want to stop and get some food into you. I wasn't lying when I said you're too skinny. And I want you to tell me if you're tired or sore or if you need something. I can tell when you're in distress, but I'd very much like to avoid the point of actual distress."

"Oh. Okay. Do they really buy even babies in Midgar?"

"Gaia, yes. We'll take in omegas at any age. The sooner we can get them out of the hands of beta savages, the better. Children, if we don't manage to save their mothers, are adopted. We make sure they go to people who will love them as family."

"You want their moms too?"

"Of course. They don't deserve to be killed or ostracized just because they happened to give birth to an omega. Midgar is a safe haven for them. It will be a safe haven for you, too, I promise."

Cloud leaned back against him and Sephiroth began purring again, hoping to soothe what had to be some shattered nerves. The effect was immediate, and Cloud went nearly completely limp, forcing Sephiroth to tighten his hold again to keep him from falling. It was good, though. He wasn't so traumatized that he couldn't relax, which Sephiroth knew had happened with some omegas.

XXX

The way Sephiroth made his chest vibrate was so strange. Was it something all alphas could do? He wanted to ask, but he didn't think that Sephiroth could rumble and talk at the same time, and he didn't want the rumbling to stop. He also wondered about the strange animals he had. The one they were riding was named Birdy, but Sephiroth had called them something else when he told the villagers to get them, and he hadn't quite caught it. He ran his fingers lazily through the bright yellow feathers and looked at the scenery. It was disorienting. They were barely out of the village and yet he had never seen this place before.

Was it really true? Was he going to get to choose a mate? What was the rest of the world like? Midgar had always been something to dread. He had been certain that whatever they did to him in the village wouldn't be as bad as being sold there to be mated. And yet here he was, in the presence of an alpha and he hadn't been fucked or even stripped and inspected to see if he was a virgin. Even when Sephiroth had pinned him down, it hadn't hurt him, it only helped him calm down. He felt … _safe_. The alpha's arm was wrapped snugly around him, not to hurt or molest him, just keeping him in his seat.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked.

The rumbling stopped, but Cloud still felt comforted in Sephiroth's strong grip. "We're headed east through the mountains to a town called Corel first. I'm hoping to get there before your heat, but our speed will depend on how quickly you're able to travel and the condition of the pass. If we make it, we'll stop there to let your heat run its course before travelling further east along the coast to Costa del Sol. From there, we'll take a ship to the port nearest Midgar. Have you done any travelling?"

Cloud scoffed bitterly. "Sometimes I'm allowed to walk around the village square for exercise as long as the children are all hidden away."

"I see. I'll show you on the map when we make camp for the night if you'd like." Sephiroth sounded sad rather than angry now. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you out of there sooner."

"What do you mean? You took me pretty much right away."

Sephiroth sighed and squeezed him gently. "Not fast enough. I first heard a rumour about you a month ago."

Cloud sat up straight and turned around as far as he could. "What? You knew I was there?"

"Not for certain, but yes. You're why I went to Nibelheim."

"No, you went because they needed a SOLDIER to deal with the monsters."

Sephiroth made a rather guilty-looking face. "They needed a SOLDIER to deal with the monsters that I lured there."

Cloud could only stare in shock. "I don't understand."

"I was on a mission further north in a town called Modeoheim, where I heard a rumour about a village not too far from there that had an omega. Apparently people with enough gil could watch the omega while he was in heat. Fucking him wasn't allowed; he was being saved for the auction, but pay enough and you'd be allowed to touch him and jerk off on him."

Cloud turned back around and slumped down, feeling sick as tears welled in his eyes. The rumbling started up again, this time accompanied by a crooning noise that seemed to make the pain in his chest lessen. It continued as his tears started to fall. He closed his eyes and let the memories wash over him. Strange men coming into his room every month, the jeering as the heat began, the need that outweighed the humiliation. Coming out of it to realize that it wasn't just _his_ fluids he was covered in.

When he finally stopped crying, Sephiroth came to a halt and lifted him down from Birdy. He hugged him gently and gave one final croon before setting him down.

"I didn't have the funds to buy you, and it would have taken longer getting enough money sent, assuming they would be willing to sell you, so I decided to manufacture a bit of a crisis for your village." Sephiroth rummaged through his packs as he spoke, setting things out on a large rock. "They put out a request to SOLDIER for aid, and I responded, not mentioning the rather hefty charge a SOLDIER of my rank comes with until after the monsters had been dealt with. I may have added a few extra zeroes to the total. It took longer than I would have liked, and for that, I'm sorry. I take it the rumours about what they did were true as well?"

Cloud nodded, still feeling stunned at the revelation that the alpha had gone to so much trouble for him.

Sephiroth sighed. "I guess that explains why they didn't sell you sooner. I'm so sorry. You're never going to be treated like that again. You have my word."

"Thank—"

"I don't need thanks for meeting a very low bar of basic decency. Now come eat before you waste away on me."


	2. Choices

Cloud laughed as Pippin nibbled at his hair. According to Sephiroth, chocobos were highly intelligent and attuned to people's emotional states, and the two birds stuck to him like glue whenever Sephiroth went off to hunt for some fresh meat or deal with a monster. He had never realized how much he craved it, since he had hated everyone in Nibelheim, but their physical presence was so comforting. Though compared to the alpha's …

He thought he maybe wouldn't mind a mate if he ended up with someone like Sephiroth. The thought of being mated and bound for life, not to mention having someone knot in him, was still terrifying, but Sephiroth had been reassuring every time they talked. His mate wouldn't ever hurt him or force him to do anything he didn't want to do. Heats would become shorter and less frequent. Knotting could be uncomfortable or even a bit painful the first time, but after that, Sephiroth told him that most omegas found it extremely pleasurable, and his partner would help him through the first time.

He glanced up when he heard twigs cracking and smiled as Sephiroth stepped into the little clearing where they would camp for the night.

"Rabbit for dinner," the alpha said, holding up the dead animal.

"I found some leeks and cranberries," Cloud said proudly. Sephiroth had shown him a few ways he could help out in their camps, and he latched onto them with enthusiasm. After so many years of being told that he was a useless waste of resources, only kept because he'd get a good price, being helpful and appreciated was a refreshing change of pace.

"Excellent. We can cook them with some rice and have a decent fresh meal."

Compared to the food he had been given in Nibelheim, even Sephiroth's trail rations were a treat, but he had to agree that fresh meals did taste better.

Not being hungry all the time was taking some getting used to, and Cloud felt full to bursting by the time he got half way through his portion of the stew. Sephiroth didn't make him feel badly for not being able to finish, though. He would simply put the uneaten portion in a container and save it to heat up for him for later. He had thought, at first, that it was only natural that Sephiroth would take the leftovers for himself and give Cloud the trail rations that he clearly didn't like. But he hadn't yet. Cloud had never been given less than half the food Sephiroth made, and more often than not, he suspected he got more.

"We need to talk about your heat," Sephiroth said after their meal was done and he had added some more wood to the fire. "There's a storm coming and I don't particularly want to risk being on the pass during it. Even if we make it to Corel in time, there's no guarantee that they'll have suitable dildos there, though it is fairly likely."

"Okay," Cloud said, though he felt himself flush. Sephiroth never seemed embarrassed to talk about stuff like this. It was like he didn't even think it was something to be ashamed of. "What will we do?"

"That's up to you. Your options aren't ideal, but you have a couple. There's a cabin just before the pass that we'll come across tomorrow. We can stop there and stay until your heat has passed. It will be early, but we've been travelling hard and it doesn't hurt to be well rested when it hits, so that's not a problem. You'd be warm and dry with a comfortable bed, though there'd be no opportunity to get a better dildo. If we push a bit harder, I think we _can _get across the pass before the storm and get to Corel in time, but it will be exhausting and there's a risk of it starting while we're in the open. That affords us a much better chance to get a dildo, however." Sephiroth poked at the fire. "If we can't get one, you also have two options. You can use the dildo you have, which will be painful, but it's what you're used to, so …" He shrugged helplessly. "I can be there to provide comfort during it if you want. It should help."

"What's the second option?" Cloud asked, feeling like he knew the answer.

"I could have sex with you."

"I thought you didn't want to mate me."

Sephiroth looked up from the fire. "Who said that? Okay, never mind that. I said I'd have sex with you, not initiate a mating bond."

"But …"

"You can have sex without mating, Cloud. Gaia, how would you know if you like your potential mate as a sex partner if you don't try it out first?"

"I—I can—but I thought—don't alphas want a virgin when they mate?"

"What difference would that make? Come on, I've told you that we only say we want virgins because it keeps you safer. Your dildo's already taken care of your hymen, I guarantee, so that measure is more meaningless that it already was, and we've talked about how your first knotting can be uncomfortable. Nobody wants to ruin their mating with that."

Cloud stared in shock. So many things that he had thought he'd known were apparently just lies to keep him what … pure? Safe? He hadn't been either of those.

"Think about it carefully, but you need to decide before your heat hits. If you don't decide or choose not to, I _will not_ have sex with you once it starts. No changing your mind."

"Omegas in heat can't be trusted," Cloud whispered the old saying. It hurt. Omegas were liars. Omegas were sluts. Omegas tempted good people with their freakish bodies.

"Omegas in heat can't be trusted to stick to what their rational selves decided, it's true. But you can be trusted, Cloud, to make the decision that's right for you, and you can trust me to respect that decision. You'll be just fine if you choose the dildo, and you'll be just fine if you want me to help you. Either way will have no effect on your health or your desirability, it's just a matter of what you're ready for."

Late that night as he lay in the tiny tent next to Sephiroth, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Was he really allowed to decide? He'd never been allowed to make decisions in his life, especially not ones to do with his body. He had been certain that alphas would always fuck an omega in heat—only betas could resist them and even they had a difficult time of it. And yet Sephiroth seemed perfectly confident that he wouldn't if Cloud didn't want him to. He even offered to stay with him through it.

The thought of the alpha's comforting presence during his heat made him stiffen in his pants. He always felt better when Sephiroth was near. Even once he had mated, Sephiroth said that he'd be able to take comfort from other alphas, he just wouldn't feel the same sexual urges towards them.

It would be better. No matter which he chose, it would be better than before. No one would be there to get off on his humiliation. As his eyes drifted shut, it occurred to him that Sephiroth hadn't actually confirmed that he didn't want to mate him. He had even seemed surprised that Cloud thought that. Did that mean that he did want to?

XXX

Sephiroth watched anxiously as Cloud inspected the cabin. He wasn't going to go back on what he had said—Cloud had enough trust issues already—but they really needed to move if they were going to press on. He knew that he would be fine if he got caught up in the storm, but a half-starved, untrained omega who had never left the prison that was his village before and was about to go into heat was an entirely different story.

"I'd like to stay here," Cloud said once he completed his tour. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine." Sephiroth breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll go stock up on some food for us. Do you think you can unload the chocobos?"

Cloud gifted him with one of his rare smiles. "Yeah. Is that a stable for them over there?"

"It is, and there should be plenty of greens in the loft for them if you'd like to get them settled. They've been working hard and deserve a good meal. A few big armfuls each will make them very happy."

"I can do that."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. Okay, I'll be back soon."

Instead of the usual small game he hunted while they were moving, Sephiroth tracked and took down a deer. The cabin was owned by Shinra, and it had the supplies necessary to cure the meat. He could prep it before Cloud's heat came on, and there would be enough for them to take some for provisions and leave the rest for the next person using it.

He wondered what Cloud's decision would be. He had to admit to himself that he hoped that Cloud would let him have sex with him. Not only was he strongly attracted to the omega, he also dreaded the thought of having to control himself while Cloud suffered through it. _That _was where the modern idea that alphas couldn't help themselves had come from. When an omega was in pain and they _knew _they could do something to stop it … it was so hard. But he also knew that he could resist, and would, if that was what Cloud wanted. The omega had so many fucked up ideas about sex and what it would mean for him. Once he got to Midgar and saw healthy relationships, he would be okay, Sephiroth was sure.

He skinned and gutted the carcass and left it to hang in the curing hut, then went out again to gather some vegetables and berries so they'd be well-supplied for the duration of both the storm and heat. Cloud was probably setting up the bedroom the way he wanted it. Or was he? Sephiroth paused to consider it. It was obvious that Cloud hadn't been given any autonomy in regards to his heats. Would he know that he could makes the changes he wanted? So many omegas were particular about lighting, the position of the bed, and the amount of bedding. Even scent could play a huge factor in how they managed their heats. Cloud had probably never been able to control those things.

Sephiroth hurriedly finished harvesting the mushrooms he had found and headed back to the cabin.

When he arrived, Cloud was sitting at the small dining table, looking a bit lost.

"I made the bed and did a bit of dusting," he said softly, "but I didn't know what else to do."

"That's plenty. Is the room the way you like it?"

Cloud blinked in confusion and Sephiroth sighed in resignation. "What do you mean, the way I like it?"

"Just that you can arrange things in there however you want. It's _your _heat. If you want the windows blacked out, go ahead and cover them up. If you want to see the sun and the moon and stars so you can keep track of time, take the curtains down. Move the bed if you don't like the way it faces. If you want a cozy nest, there are lots of spare blankets to make one with."

Cloud stilled for a moment. "I—I want more blankets. Is that really okay?"

Sephiroth nodded, recalling that Cloud's bed in Nibelheim only had an extremely thin quilt on it. "Build a mountain out of them, if that's what you'd like. We can do as much laundry as is needed once it's over, so go crazy."

The smile he got before Cloud ran back to the bedroom was huge, and it warmed Sephiroth's heart. "I mean it when I say you can arrange things however you want in there," he called over his shoulder as he headed back out to deal with the deer. "Do absolutely anything that feels right."

XXX

"I—I think I'd like if you could help me," Cloud said the next morning as they were getting washed up. "If we could have sex."

"Okay." Sephiroth held out him arms and Cloud immediately went to him for a hug. "I know I said no changing your mind, but you can in this case. Even once your heat has started, it's possible that you'll be able to say no if you get scared. I'll listen. I will always listen to you."

Cloud closed his eyes and breathed in the alpha's scent. He could trust him. He was certain. Sephiroth had only ever treated him with respect and kindness. "Thank you."

"No thanks for basic decency, remember?"

Cloud laughed and shook his head. "But I am grateful. It might be basic decency to you, but to me ... it's so much."

Sephiroth rubbed his back and he felt lips press to the top of his head. "Come. Let's get some breakfast."

After they ate, Cloud helped Sephiroth tend to the chocobos. They had to be able to fend for themselves while Cloud was in heat, but Sephiroth assured him they would be fine.

"There's plenty for them to eat in the forest, and they know to come back to the stable at night," Sephiroth said as he carried the buckets of water Cloud pumped to the big trough he was filling. "We'll leave them with enough food and water so they don't have to go out in the storm, but that's it. SOLDIER chocobos are trained for situations like this, don't worry."

"Does it happen often?"

Sephiroth nodded. "All SOLDIERs are alphas, and mated ones will, of course, bring their omegas with them on missions. They try to time things around heats so they can be at home or at least at an inn for it, but it doesn't always work out that way. This sort of situation is rarer, but any alpha has to be able to drop everything to care for an omega in heat. It doesn't matter if he's mated or not."

"Really? Even if they're mated?"

"Of course. One more bucket should do it, I think. Sex can't happen, obviously, but a mated alpha will still feel the need to watch over the omega and encourage him to eat and drink and help him with the toilet. His presence makes a big difference in terms of comfort and health."

Cloud stopped pumping water and leaned against the fence, rubbing his aching arms. He wanted to ask, but had a feeling he knew the answer. It made sense. Sephiroth had made a bunch of extra food at breakfast and put it into portioned containers in the fridge, saying as he did so that he wouldn't be able to cook for _them _during the heat. Not just himself. It hadn't dawned on him at the time, but it seemed like he might not be starving when he came out of it. He might not have to wash piss out of the blankets he had prepared because he hadn't been able to get himself to the bathroom.

"You okay?" Sephiroth asked after he poured the last bucket into the trough.

"Yeah, just thinking about some stuff. Can I go look for some berries?"

"Sure. Take Birdy and Pippin with you, though. There are bears in these woods."

"They can protect me from bears?"

Sephiroth just laughed. "They're SOLDIER chocobos. Bears run screaming from them. They'll also keep you from getting lost."

Cloud spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon wandering aimlessly through the woods. He filled a couple small pails with a variety of berries that he knew were good to eat, and picked a few mushrooms that looked the same as what Sephiroth had found earlier. Sephiroth had said that some mushrooms were poisonous, but Cloud figured he'd know for sure if they were safe. Mostly, however, Cloud just enjoyed the time to explore a little bit. He'd barely been allowed out of his house in Nibelheim, and although he was seeing a lot more with Sephiroth, he'd been exhausted by the time they had stopped each day.

It was nice to just sit for a while next to a little stream and feel the cool water running over his feet and the moss between his toes. It was interesting to watch a strange bird that clung to the trunk of a tree and tapped its beak against it. He would have to remember to ask Sephiroth about it. He was sure that the alpha would know what it was and why it did that, and he never made Cloud feel embarrassed for not knowing things.

He was looking at some indents that made a curious shape in a flat rock when he felt a familiar warmth between his legs. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was starting sooner than he'd expected. Maybe his body knew that he was safe. That he'd be taken care of this time.

Cloud put the rock in his pocket and pushed himself up as he felt another, slightly more insistent throb. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he muttered. Gaia, how he hated his body and its demands. Birdy approached as he stood, and Cloud reached out to her. "Can you show me how to get back to Sephiroth?"

She gave a soft kweh and lowered herself down. It seemed like she was inviting him onto her back. He'd never been able to get on without help from Sephiroth, and he'd never ridden alone or without a saddle, but it would certainly be faster than walking back.

"I can ride you?" he asked. Something bumped into him from behind, and Cloud looked over his shoulder as Pippin nudged him with his head again, pushing him towards Birdy. "All right, all right."

He swung his leg over and Birdy held still as he settled himself behind her wings and wrapped his arms around her neck. When he stopped wiggling, she stood and both birds took off. He hoped that they had understood and were taking him back to the cabin. Back to the alpha.

Birdy went a bit slower than she usually did when they rode, and Cloud couldn't help but suspect that it was so he wouldn't fall off. They made good time, however, and it wasn't long before they were at the cabin. Birdy took him right up to where Sephiroth was, and he lifted Cloud down from her back.

"It's starting," he said, gasping as the alpha's touch sent shivers of desire through him.

"I know. It's okay, I'm here." Sephiroth kept one hand on him as he took the bags he had put the berries and mushrooms in off of Pippin, then gave them both an affectionate pat. "Good 'bos. Well done."

Sephiroth led him inside and to the bedroom, never breaking contact with him. "Let's get you undressed and into bed."

Cloud nodded. He never took off his clothes until he was forced to, but this time he didn't feel at all embarrassed as Sephiroth eased his shirt over his head and pulled his shoes and socks off, followed by his pants. He moaned in pleasure as he was half carried to the bed and set down in the middle of the huge pile of blankets he had made. They felt so cozy and right as Sephiroth tucked them around him, seeming to understand that he didn't want to be covered, just surrounded.

"There we go, does that feel okay?"

"Yes," Cloud moaned the word. Wetness was spreading between his legs and he squeezed them together, clenching his muscles in a rhythm to create nice little sensations of pleasure that made him even wetter.

"Good. I'm going to undress and lie down with you. Skin-to-skin contact will help keep you calm as it builds."

He nodded and closed his eyes, just enjoying the softness of the blankets. He'd never heard such a good idea in his life. He gave a whimper when Sephiroth stopped touching him, but his soothing voice filled his ears.

"It's okay. I'm still here. There's nothing to worry about." The soothing murmurs kept up until Cloud felt a weight on the bed, and then he was wrapped up in the alpha's strong arms, his scent filling his nostrils and making him feel dizzy with lust. "Good boy, I've got you. You're safe."

A hand reached down and stroked his erection. Cloud kept his legs closed, not quite feeling the need to be filled yet. He kept squeezing his muscles in time to Sephiroth's strokes, and gasped in surprise when he suddenly came, splattering all over his stomach. He whimpered in embarrassment. He'd never come before he was fully lost in the heat, and he tensed, waiting for the laughter from the people watching.

It didn't come. A soothing rumble started as warm hands gently rubbed up and down his sides and over his chest and stomach. He snuggled into it, wanting to be closer to the vibrations the alpha was emitting from his chest. When he opened his eyes, he was looking at Sephiroth's smooth skin and one small, pert nipple. He couldn't resist the urge to kiss and lick. When he closed his lips around the nipple, the vibration intensified and Sephiroth groaned.

"You're doing so well, Cloud. Just do what feels right."

He lost track of time as Sephiroth allowed him to explore his body while keeping the franticness and fear he usually felt at bay with his soothing touches and rumbling. When he finally collapsed back into the blankets and spread his legs, he was still mostly aware of what he was doing, though he was ready to be filled. His testicles had pulled upwards into his body, leaving the delicate hole just behind them exposed to the alpha. For once he didn't feel ashamed, and though he normally would have expected to be made to wait until he was crying in desperation from his need, it came as little surprise when he felt two fingers sliding into him.

Pleasure like he'd never felt before seared through him, and he gave a loud cry. While he was aware that the fingers weren't exactly what he wanted, they still felt so good as they pumped in and out, spreading his fluid around and encouraging him to spread his legs further.

"More," he managed to gasp after several minutes. "Please, more. I need it."

The fingers slipped out and he felt Sephiroth shifting before something larger pressed against his entrance. "Are you ready, Cloud? You can still say no. We can get you through this without." Sephiroth's voice was deep and full of lust.

"I want—I want—please." He clutched at the alpha's hips, trying to pull him in.

Cloud screamed out his satisfaction as he was penetrated. His cock jerked and more come splattered over him. Sephiroth was larger than his dildo, but it didn't hurt at all as he thrust into him with slow, steady strokes. A feeling of intense pressure began to build in his belly, growing with each thrust. He'd felt it during his previous heats, but never so strongly or so soon, and he was helpless to do anything as it grew and grew until finally bursting. Incredible bliss exploded in his core, sending waves of ecstasy crashing through him until it seemed like his whole body was pulsing with the intensity of it.

"That's it, just feel. You're doing so well." Sephiroth's encouragement was the only thing that kept him remotely grounded as the pressure began to build again.

He wasn't sure how many times it happened or how much time has passed before Sephiroth's pace sped up and he felt something hot deep inside him. Sephiroth was grunting in satisfaction, and he hugged him close when he finally stilled.

"Just breathe," he whispered between gentle kisses. "Keep breathing and relax your body. I've got you."

Cloud gave a worried moan as he felt Sephiroth's penis begin to swell, locking them together.

"That's it, it's okay. Nothing to be frightened of. Just breathe and relax. In and out, come on, match me." Sephiroth took an exaggerated breath in and waited until Cloud copied him, then slowly let it out.

The swelling continued, stretching him more and more until Cloud wanted to squirm away from the discomfort. Sephiroth kept up his support, however, and it wasn't too long before it stopped and Cloud was left trembling in his arms. The desperate lust he had been feeling faded, leaving him feeling clear-headed in a way he had never experienced during his heat. After a few minutes, the discomfort of the stretch also faded, and he realized that the pain that always accompanied his heats was simply not there.

He opened his eyes and looked over Sephiroth's shoulder at the rain that was beginning to lash against the window pane. In the distance, he saw a flash of lightning before thunder followed several seconds later.

"How are you feeling?"

"Glad I left the curtains open," he replied lazily.

Sephiroth laughed and hugged him tightly. "You certainly know how to compliment a guy. I take it that means that you're not in pain."

"No, none. You … I didn't think you were lying, but …"

"Good." Sephiroth somehow managed to lift him and got them arranged so he was sitting up with Cloud on his lap. He was fully aware of Sephiroth's erection still deep inside him, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. "Here, I want you to drink this."

Sephiroth twisted the cap off a bottle and held it to his lips. Cloud rested his head on Sephiroth's chest as he drank thirstily, not particularly wanting to make the effort to hold the bottle himself. It didn't seem like Sephiroth minded, however, and he hand fed Cloud from a small plate by the bed, letting his fingers linger on his lips to stroke gently as he ate a few of the bite-sized morsels. He watched the sky darken as the storm grew until all he could see was lightning and water running down the pane.

"Try to sleep," Sephiroth whispered in his ear while tucking the blankets around him again. "The heat will come back once my knot recedes. Rest while you can."

He'd never slept during a heat before. Passed out, yes, but not slept. It was impossible to keep his eyes open once the suggestion had been made, however, and he drifted off to the comforting vibrations coming from Sephiroth.

When he woke again, he was aching with need. The alpha wasn't in him anymore and he wanted that fixed. He cried in relief when Sephiroth filled him again and again until he was completely lost in the haze of pleasure. The second time Sephiroth knotted in him didn't hurt at all, and he was fairly certain he came from the third.

He had no clue how long it had been, but it appeared to be late morning on a nice day when he finally woke with the need gone. Sephiroth wasn't there, but he was comfortably nested in his blankets, and he appeared to have been given a slight wipe down, at least. He wasn't _clean_, but he didn't feel disgusting like he always had before. There were some noises from the kitchen, and the smells of cooking were seeping into the room.

He wondered if Sephiroth was going to bring him something to eat in bed. Gaia, what he wouldn't have given for that before. He was always nearly fainting with hunger by the time his heats finished, and though he hated not being able to shower first, staggering to the kitchen and hoping there was something edible was more important. It was a lesson he'd learned the hard way when he had fainted in the shower and cracked his head open.

There was a pot of tea and a cup on the bedside table, and it was still steaming when he poured it. He sighed happily and snuggled back into the blankets as the tea warmed his belly. Was this really how any alpha would treat him? Was it how his mate would treat him?

The tea was half finished when Sephiroth tapped on the door before opening it a crack. "Can I come in?"

Cloud blinked. He was asking permission? "Y—yes."

Sephiroth entered carrying a tray loaded with food that he set on the bedside table after shoving the teapot out of the way. "How're you feeling?"

"Good. Hungry." Cloud pushed himself up, blushing a bit when he realized that he was still naked while Sephiroth had dressed himself in a pair of soft pants. He spotted the pants Sephiroth had given him to sleep in at the foot of the bed and pulled them on.

"Hungry is good. You're not a big eater during your heat. It was a bit of a struggle to get enough food into you."

"I guess … I guess I'm not used to it."

Sephiroth paused a moment before simply nodding his understanding. "Do you feel like being alone, or would you like me to sit with you while you eat?"

"Do you mind staying with me?"

"Not at all." Sephiroth sat down next to him and set the tray over his lap before wrapping an arm around him. "Some people prefer some space after their heat finishes, but if you don't, then I'm happy to stay with you for as long as you want."

Cloud smiled and leaned in close to Sephiroth's comforting presence before delving into the meal the alpha had provided for him. A hot soup with potatoes, leeks and venison warmed him to his toes, and berries mixed into a bowl of oatmeal and sprinkled with sugar left him feeling fully satisfied. He sighed in contentment as he scraped the bowl clean and drank the last of the broth.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Sephiroth just rumbled in response until he slept again.


	3. Nothing Wrong With You

"How long did it last?"

Cloud had finally dragged himself out of bed in the late afternoon to shower, and managed to convince himself to stay out of it so he could eat dinner at the table instead of making Sephiroth have to bring it to him. It was more than enough that he cooked for him.

"Four days," Sephiroth replied. "Nearly five. I was starting to get worried, to be honest."

"That's bad?"

Sephiroth made a noncommittal noise. "Your body isn't really meant to handle that much intensity for so long, and you weren't eating anywhere near enough to keep up with the energy you were using. It's nothing to be concerned about, though. It's likely the result of not being cared for properly up until now, and should be better next time. Around three days is the time we like to see in someone who's unmated."

"How long does it last for people who are mated?"

"Two days is the average, but it can go lower if the omega's sexual needs are kept satisfied well enough outside of the heat. That's why you want to find someone you've got good compatibility with. Anyone can make you see stars when you're in heat as long as they've got a dick and can knot, but you'll want someone who can make you feel good any time."

Cloud blushed until he was certain even the tips of his ears were on fire. Surely he couldn't come like that outside of his heat. Did he even want to? He'd never felt the urge to use his dildo when he didn't need it. He hated masturbating, and if his approaching heat demanded it, he only touched his penis.

"Is it …" He hesitated a moment. "Is it normal to want to have sex outside of heat?"

Sephiroth paused and blinked at him several times before replying. "Very." He reached across the table and took Cloud's hand, squeezing it gently. "I understand that you've been made to feel ashamed of what you are, but there's nothing wrong with you or your needs. There's nothing wrong with sex as long as you and your partner are consenting."

"I've never wanted to," he admitted, ducking his head in shame.

"That's okay." Sephiroth came around the table and crouched beside him, looking up into his eyes. "That's perfectly fine. You might just have a lower sex drive than average. Or it's entirely possible that being assaulted, tortured and humiliated every time you need sex has made you rather reasonably not want to go through that more than you have to. Once you're accustomed to feeling safe and secure, or when you find someone you like, you might find that things start to change. If they don't, that's okay. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you."

Cloud wiped away the tears that were falling and reached out for Sephiroth, who gathered him into his arms and crooned while rocking him gently.

XXX

They were up early the next morning. Cloud was feeling back to normal, if a bit tired still, but there was work to be done. They washed the blankets they had used and hung them out to dry in the sun. The storm had caused three trees to fall near the cabin, and Sephiroth cut them into logs with a saw, then loaded them onto a small wagon that Pippin pulled back to the cabin. There, he split the logs for firewood. Cloud helped by stacking the split logs in an ancient shed that would keep them mostly dry, but he also spent a lot of time just watching. Sephiroth worked without a shirt on, and his bare chest and rippling muscles had Cloud's mind returning again and again to the way the alpha had touched him during his heat.

He begged to flee to the woods after lunch. Watching Sephiroth made him feel things he wasn't entirely sure he was comfortable with feeling. Pippin was still working, but Sephiroth had Birdy go with him. She followed him closely as he explored, and it seemed like every step they took, there was something new to see. It was a good distraction, but he couldn't help but think about what Sephiroth had said the night before. Was there really nothing wrong with him?

He had a vivid memory of a time shortly before his first heat. The changes his body was going through were scary, but he had been curious about it as well. He remembered sitting on his bed and lifting his balls to prod at his vagina. It had felt good when he put his finger in. He closed his eyes and thrust it in and out until he was trembling all over and fluid was running down his hand.

"Disgusting," someone sneered.

His memory of the mayor's face as he had opened his eyes filled his vision. He had been so angry. He had taken a switch and made Cloud bend over the side of the bed and spread his legs. He could still feel the agonizing pain as it smacked his hole over and over while the mayor berated him.

"Kweh?" Cloud opened his eyes when Birdy snaked her head under his arm. She shuffled closer and nudged at him until he got the hint and climbed onto her back like he had done before. This time she walked back to the cabin while Cloud clung to her and sobbed his heart out. He had never touched himself like that again except for when the heat demanded it. It was disgusting and bad. He was disgusting and bad.

He looked up from Birdy's neck when she began to wark loudly. They were still in the woods, but not even a minute later, Sephiroth came crashing through the trees.

"Are you hurt?" The alpha was at his side in an instant, pulling him down from Birdy and cradling him against his sweaty, heaving chest.

Cloud sobbed harder as he shook his head. He wished he was. He clearly needed a reminder to not feel like that. Sephiroth had made him forget.

"Okay, okay, you're okay. Let it all out. You're safe. I've got you."

Sephiroth's crooning began again and the rumbling reverberated from his chest. Cloud's muscles went pliant and his eyes drifted shut. It was hard to think when Sephiroth did that. He couldn't remember the pain he had just been recalling so vividly, and he couldn't even think of what the mayor's face looked like. His mind couldn't latch onto anything except the knowledge that he was safe.

It was fully dark when the rumbling and crooning slowly faded. Sephiroth's eyes shone brightly in the dark, and they were full of concern as they looked down at him. "Stay calm, I've got you," Sephiroth whispered.

He was lifted up—Sephiroth must have been sitting or something—and he tried to speak when he heard the ground crunching under Sephiroth's feet. Had he stayed in the same spot the whole time? How long had it been? How could he have made the alpha do something like that?

"Hush, it's okay." Sephiroth began to croon again as he walked, and Cloud felt himself calm once more. Two shadowy figures walked beside them, and they resolved into the chocobos when they entered the clearing where the cabin was and there was a bit of starlight.

"I can walk," Cloud said half-heartedly.

"I know." Sephiroth didn't put him down, however. Not even once they were in the cabin. Instead he opened the fridge and took out a container and found a spoon before sitting down in the big chair by the cold fireplace, all while still carrying him. He arranged Cloud on his lap, then opened the container and held a spoonful of cold casserole to his lips. "Eat. You can't miss meals."

Sighing, Cloud rested his head on Sephiroth's chest and opened his mouth. He didn't want to be put down. He didn't want to feed himself. Not when it felt like the only thing holding him together was Sephiroth's presence. The fact that the man cared about him enough to be willing to spoon food into his mouth had to mean that he was worth something.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Sephiroth asked gently once the container was empty.

Haltingly, he did his best. While he stammered and cringed over every word, Sephiroth listened quietly, only interrupting to croon when he couldn't bear to go on. Two men had had to come in to hold him down. When the whipping finally stopped, the mayor had shoved the switch into him, scratching up his insides while he screamed. He had been swollen and bleeding for days, and several of the cuts got infected. Nobody cared, however, and the best he'd been able to do was try to keep the ones on the outside clean and dry until they had finally scabbed over. He'd been afraid to touch inside again, and so just left it, hoping it would stop hurting eventually.

His first few heats had been terrifying. Despite being given the dildo and unable to help himself, he was convinced he'd be punished for using it. He still remembered throwing up from sheer terror, even as he thrust it in.

Sephiroth rumbled at him for a long time after he stopped talking. Somehow, saying what had happened out loud made the pain seem a little more distant.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," Sephiroth eventually spoke quietly. His hand stroked his back and his fingers ran through his hair. Soothing. Gentle. Another soft rumble. A thumb, carefully wiping away some tears. "You didn't do anything wrong. They were the ones who were wrong. There's nothing bad about touching your own body. There's nothing wrong with being curious or making yourself feel good. They behaved abominably. They're the ones who are disgusting. Not you. You're beautiful. Your body is beautiful and your personality is beautiful."

Cloud lifted his head slightly to look up at Sephiroth. "You really think that?"

Sephiroth rumbled again and kissed his forehead. "I do. Nothing can erase what was done to you, but I want you to try to believe that it will never, ever happen again. When we get to Midgar, I'd like you to speak to a type of doctor called a psychologist. They have special training and can help you learn to come to terms with what happened and move on from it. You don't deserve to have these memories haunting you. You deserve to feel good about your body and proud of yourself. You deserve to be able to touch yourself and let others touch you without any fear or shame."

Cloud gave a trembling nod. "I want that. I hate feeling this way."

"I hate that they made you feel like this. You deserve so much better." Sephiroth rocked him and began crooning again until late into the night when he finally took him to the bedroom. He helped Cloud into his pyjamas, then curled around him, holding him close. He was in the exact same position when he woke late in the morning, having slept like a log. There was even a bit of drool on Sephiroth's chest.

XXX

Sephiroth decided they would leave the following day. Cloud needed help that he couldn't provide far more than he needed to rest after his heat. He needed to meet other omegas and realize that he was normal, with normal feelings, wants, and needs. He needed to see with his own eyes that he would be safe in Midgar. And he needed time to get comfortable with himself and his sexuality before his body forced him to choose a mate.

So he worked through the day to secure the cabin and make sure it had enough basic necessities left for the next person to use it. He did take numerous breaks to check in on Cloud, however. The omega was doing a bit better, but taking the time to talk and cuddle with him every once in a while kept his stress levels down.

The chocobos had taken it upon themselves to watch over Cloud every second he wasn't with Sephiroth. Birdy even followed him into the cabin, something she _knew _wasn't allowed, but she had just levelled a stare at Sephiroth when he entered to see her settled by the easy chair with her head in his lap like she belonged there. He had to wonder how she had even fit through the door.

He would have to get them some of their favourite fruits when they got to Corel. He'd known he had a good pair of birds, but while bringing Cloud to him when his heat started was fairly normal, bringing him when he was upset wasn't. Pippin had nearly given him a heart attack when he suddenly started warking like the roof was on fire and trying to shoo him towards the woods. He realized when he found them that Pippin must have heard Birdy's call before he could.

"You're a good girl, Birdy," he said as he patted her head and then leaned over her to kiss Cloud.

"She is," Cloud agreed.

XXX

It didn't take long for them to get to Corel. Even going at a much easier pace than they had when he was trying to outrace Cloud's heat had them across the pass and down the other side in three days. It was just an average mining town, but Cloud's eyes sparkled with interest as he craned his neck around, trying to see everything as they rode in.

"You're going to give yourself whiplash," he joked as he slowed Birdy to a walk so Cloud could look. They attracted some stares, but SOLDIERs and omegas always did, even in towns like Corel that saw a decent amount of traffic. Betas couldn't usually spot omegas from a distance, and many couldn't tell at all without seeing their genitals, but the fact that Cloud was small and with him meant that a lot of people would guess.

He stopped in front of the inn he usually stayed at and left the chocobos with the stable hand, along with instructions to give them the best feed they had available. Inside, the innkeeper greeted him with a familiar smile and a curious look at Cloud.

"Finally found a mate?" he asked after taking his bags.

Sephiroth shook his head. "Taking him to Midgar. I need a room for the night."

"One bed or two?"

He looked to Cloud, who was blushing fiercely. "What do you prefer?"

"Can I sleep with you?" he asked in a small voice.

"Of course. One, then, please. With some extra blankets. We'll take dinner and breakfast here as well. I've got some shopping to do, and I think Cloud would like to see a bit more of the town, but we'll be back by seven for the meal."

Sephiroth took his time while he shopped for supplies to restock his travel kit, allowing Cloud to see what kinds of things were available and witness some transactions. Omegas who had been kept isolated like Cloud had a lot to learn before they could hope to lead independent lives. Cloud wouldn't have long to go without a mate, but they were still important skills that any adult should know. He wouldn't want to have to rely on his mate for everything.

They stopped at a fruit stall on their way back, and Sephiroth was pleased to see that they had both Mideelean pineapples and Wutaian plums. He handed over way too much gil for six pineapples and two dozen plums as he explained, "These are Birdy and Pippin's favourites. Want to help me feed them?"

"Their favourites? Yeah, I really want to. They're so nice to me. I want to show them that I appreciate it. Birdy especially. I don't know what I would have done in the woods that day if she hadn't taken me back."

"Thank you," he said to the shop keeper as he took the heavy bags. "They really like you, which isn't all that common. They must be able to tell that you're special."

Sephiroth winced internally when he said that and hoped that Cloud thought he meant special in general, not special to him. After going through his heat with him, he knew that yes, he was ready to mate, and yes, he desperately wanted to it to be with Cloud. But he also wanted to make sure that Cloud had options before making his desires known. It didn't seem like Cloud had noticed, thankfully. It was a fine line to walk between encouraging Cloud to think positively about himself and flirting.

XXX

The scenery gradually changed from mountains, to foothills, to a flat plain, until they were finally travelling along a rocky coastline. Cloud couldn't begin to fathom how big the ocean actually was, and he found it mildly terrifying to look at. They'd be going on a ship, and he couldn't imagine what sort of thing it must be in order to travel across the ocean when he couldn't even see the other side.

Trying to not worry about the ocean left him with thinking about Midgar, which wasn't much better. Now that they were past the first big landmark Sephiroth had mentioned when they first set out, it seemed like much more of a reality. Corel had been huge compared to Nibelheim, but Sephiroth said it was just an average town.

"What will happen to me when we get to Midgar?" he eventually just asked as they rode.

"Nothing scary, I promise. I was able to make contact with Shinra when we were in Corel, so they know you're coming and things will be prepared for you. One of the first things you'll do is see a doctor."

"I thought I'm not sick?"

Sephiroth shook his head and smoothed his hand through Cloud's hair. "As far as I can tell, you're not, but it's important to get a check up anyway. You didn't get enough to eat before, and the doctor will be able to do some tests to see if you need any medicine to help you get enough vitamins and minerals so you can recover from that. If you're comfortable with it, it would also be a good idea to let him do a physical examination—checking your body, including your genitals, to make sure everything is healthy."

Cloud cringed at the thought, but Sephiroth just hugged him gently.

"You don't have to if you're not okay with it. The doctor you'll see is a mated omega, though, so you might find that you feel safe enough to allow it."

"An omega? Who's a doctor?" What kind of omega had a job?

He felt Sephiroth nod behind him. "One of our best."

"I didn't think …"

"Omegas have lots of options, you'll see. After the doctor, I've also arranged for you to meet with a psychologist, like I mentioned before. Just briefly to say hello and make sure she doesn't give you the creeps or something. Then I'll take you to the apartment they'll have set up for you. You'll have a roommate—another unmated omega, but he'll be someone who's been in Midgar longer and can help you get settled in."

"Oh." Cloud had been a little bit hopeful that he'd get to remain with Sephiroth. He supposed the alpha was probably sick of him by now, but he hoped that he'd get to see him at least occasionally. "Wait," he said as another thought occurred to him, "I don't have any money." Money was everything, he knew that much.

"I know. Nobody expects you to be able to pay for anything. Shinra will pay for the apartment and all your necessities, and you'll be given a stipend for spending money. Once you've mated, your alpha will take over supporting you, and when you're feeling ready, you can look into getting a job of your own."

"A job of my own? But I don't know how to do anything."

"Not yet, but that will change. We understand that you were deprived of an education and even the basic skills that you're supposed to learn through growing up as a member of society. We'll teach you, don't worry. This isn't the first time we've had someone in this situation. You'll have lots of support for as long as you need it, so you don't need to concern yourself with a job until you're ready."

Cloud leaned back into Sephiroth and got a hug in return. He had thought that omegas were supposed to follow their alphas around all day, waiting to be fucked. They didn't have educations and jobs. They were just burdens. Only good for sex and breeding, and he couldn't even do that. And yet, thinking about it, it did seem like Sephiroth was gradually teaching him things. He always answered questions, and so Cloud now knew about how to care for chocobos, and about woodpeckers and fossils and tides. Maybe those weren't important things, but he still liked knowing them. It also seemed like Sephiroth deliberately took his time with certain things so Cloud could have an opportunity to watch. He'd never actually seen someone buy anything before they arrived in Corel, and compared to the other people he had seen shopping there, Sephiroth had been slow, counting out his money and then his change, all the while making sure Cloud could see.

Sometimes he wondered when he was going to wake up, but surely this wasn't a dream. His imagination wasn't near good enough to come up with everything that he had seen and done since leaving Nibelheim.


	4. Across the Ocean

A/N: This chapter is so short. I'm sorry. I'll maybe update twice this week to make up for it.

XXX

Cloud buried his face in Birdy's feathers and hugged her. The smell of chocobo was far better than the ocean. He didn't like the smell or the sounds or the way the floor moved under him. There were so many people on the ship, and the chocobo stalls way down below deck seemed like the one place that wasn't full of activity.

"Are you okay?"

Cloud looked up at the strange voice to see a man with shoulder length black hair and a dark suit. "I—l—"

"Feeling a bit overwhelmed?"

Cloud gave a small nod. The man crouched down, and without thinking, Cloud leaned towards him slightly. He smelled similar to Sephiroth, but something was noticeably different as well. "Are you an alpha?"

"I am." He brushed aside his hair to reveal the scent gland on his neck. It looked like there was a scar in the shape of a bite mark over it.

"Are you mated?"

The man smiled and nodded before letting his hair fall again. "I am. Are you Cloud?"

"Yes. You know Sephiroth?"

"I do. Would you like me to take you to him?"

"No …" Being around Sephiroth had been confusing lately, and he was tired. It made him feel better, but it also made him feel other things. He couldn't always cope with the warmth that would pool in his belly sometimes, making him hard and wet even though he wasn't near his heat. Sephiroth said it wasn't bad, but it was still embarrassing and made him feel dirty.

"Would you like to come sit with me for a while and see if that helps you feel a little less overwhelmed?"

The alpha shifted forwards and held out his hand. When Cloud touched it, it was all he could do to not throw himself into the man's arms. The feeling of comfort was immediate, and it came without the strange feelings of attraction and want. Arms wrapped around him and hoisted him up off the floor of the stall, cradling him close as he was carried somewhere else. There was still so much noise, and he could feel the swaying of the ship, but he was able to tune it out until the alpha sat down in a large room with no one in it and the curtains pulled closed.

"Bit better?"

Cloud nodded as he nuzzled into the alpha's embrace. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. My name is Tseng, and I work for Shinra as well. That's how I know Sephiroth."

"Are you a SOLDIER too?"

"No." Gentle hands rubbed up and down his back and side. "I'm a Turk. Our division looks for omegas like you who are in bad situations and brings them back to Midgar. I'm sorry we never found you, though I'm very glad that Sephiroth did."

"Me too." There was a whole division dedicated to looking for omegas?

"I'll bet it must be pretty confusing, though. Being alone with an unmated alpha for so long when you need to mate is tough at the best of times. Sephiroth said that you've been through a lot and are pretty uncomfortable with your sexuality."

"He told you?"

"No details," Tseng said soothingly and stroked his head. "Just the basics that we need to know so we can make sure you get the right help and don't accidentally hurt you further. Anything else you want to share is at your discretion, and no one you choose to tell will spread it around."

Cloud fell silent, thinking about that and just taking comfort in the alpha's presence.

"Can you vibrate like Sephiroth?" he suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"Sephiroth makes his chest vibrate and makes a strange crooning noise whenever I'm upset. I just wondered if other alphas can do it."

"Oh." A brief rumble emitted from Tseng's chest, then he stopped and ruffled his hair. "How often is whenever you're upset?"

Cloud shrugged. "I dunno. I get scared a lot or get caught up thinking about things I don't want to remember."

Tseng sighed and nodded. "You can tell him to stop. Things like that work well in an emergency, but it's better if you learn to deal with being scared or upset without having someone controlling you."

"Controlling?"

"An alpha's purr and croon basically put a damper on higher brain function. It makes your instincts take over, which is why it works so well when you're upset or panicking. If you're with an alpha, your base instincts will always tell you that he's protecting you and you're therefore safe, which is true for the most part. The more often the same alpha does it, especially one that you trust, the more effective it is. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's important to not just shut down and not deal with the problem. And it's also good to not always associate purring with something bad. It's a great way to bond with your mate or even a potential mate, but if he always does it when you're upset, then it starts to become a not very nice thing."

"I didn't know that."

"That's why I told you. There's nothing wrong with not knowing something. I think that Sephiroth might not know it, either, so I'm going to talk to him. He doesn't actually have much experience with omegas, especially not in a situation like this where he's been the only one caring for you."

"He doesn't?" Sephiroth knew so much, though. And had done so much. Sometimes it felt like he knew everything one could possibly know.

Tseng shook his head. "He's got his instincts, the basic training that all SOLDIERs have, and some knowledge that he's picked up in passing, but that's it. He hasn't wanted to actively seek out a mate yet, so his contact with unmated omegas has been quite limited apart from the occasional flings."

Cloud couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. "So he doesn't want a mate."

Tseng chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not so sure about that. He put in a request to be stationed in Midgar until you're mated. That's pretty much a dead giveaway that he wants to throw his hat in the ring."

"Hat in the ring?" He had never heard that phrase before.

"That he wants to be available to mate with you if you want him."

"Really?"

Tseng shrugged again, but gave him a teasing smile. "So what was the trouble earlier? Can you tell me about it?"

"Nothing was _wrong_," he explained. "I just … overwhelmed, like you said. Everything's so different and noisy and big. And every time the floor moves, I want to throw up."

"It is pretty overwhelming, isn't it? I can't imagine what it must be like for you, seeing all this for the first time. It will get better, I promise, but it's smart to have some places to go to feel safe when it gets to be too much. Do you like the chocobos?"

Cloud nodded. "They always stayed with me while we were travelling here, and they helped me when I was going into heat and afterwards when I got upset while I was alone."

"Good. I'll tell Sephiroth to make sure you know where to find them when you get to Midgar. And you can come to me as well. Our cabin is right next door to yours while we're on the ship, and I'll show you where I live and work when we meet again. My mate and I have a detour to make before we go back, but I usually stay in Midgar these days, so I'm pretty available."

"You stay in Midgar? I thought you'd have to travel around if you look for omegas."

"I'm in charge of coordinating rescues and auctions, and facilitating settling new omegas in Midgar. My mate's job requires him to be in Midgar most of the time, so I have to stay as well. It's not very often that he lets my leash slip a bit."

Cloud frowned in confusion. First omegas with jobs, and now omegas with jobs that had priority over their alphas'?

"Discussing how you'll coordinate your lives is an extremely important part of choosing a mate," Tseng said. "When I was courting my mate, he made it clear that I had to be willing to change the way I worked if we were going to be together. I wasn't sure at first, but when this position opened up, I decided to go for it. I knew I'd still be doing valuable work in Midgar, and I love him enough that giving up fieldwork was worth it. I know you've got such a short time to choose and you probably don't have any idea yet of what you might like to do, but it's important to keep your individual future and lifestyle preferences in mind as you're exploring your options. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled."

They had been sitting quietly for a while longer when the door opened. Cloud looked up to see Sephiroth and a blond stranger in a white suit.

"See? I told you that nobody gets lost on Tseng's watch," the stranger said. "He's been having fucking fits. And no, it's fine, don't get off my mate."

"I was just worried!" Sephiroth snapped. "That's not unreasonable!"

Cloud tried to scramble up. He'd managed to make both Sephiroth and Tseng's mate angry. Strong arms pulled him back down and pinned him to Tseng's chest as he let out a loud, threatening growl.

"Both of you, drop it. Sephiroth, he doesn't need your permission every time he leaves your sight, and Rufus, you know damn well he's no threat to you, so don't even fake being jealous."

"I'm sorry," Cloud whispered, but Tseng just stroked his hair.

"No apologies from you. I, for one, have had a very pleasant time cuddling with someone who doesn't bitch constantly about the colour of the baseboards."

"They _are_ going to have to be redone," the blond man said with a huff as he poured a drink and sat down. "I can't live like that. And why are we sitting in the dark? Am I allowed to open the curtains in my own cabin?"

"Is it okay to let a little bit of light in?" Tseng asked. At Cloud's nod, the blond man went over to the windows and threw open the curtains, flooding the room with the afternoon sunlight. They both blinked in the sudden brightness.

"Rufus, President and CEO of the Neo Shinra Electric Power Company." A fancy card was shoved under Cloud's nose. It had a pretty gold design in the corner, and he ran his fingers over it, liking the texture of it. What the omega had said slowly dawned on him and he looked up in awe.

"P—president?"

"And CEO." Rufus sat down again and crossed his foot over his knee. "Welcome aboard, Cloud. Anyone hurts you again, tell me and I'll have someone fuck them up. You're safe now."

Tseng smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Do you want to go sit with Sephiroth? I think he might need a hug."

Cloud looked towards Sephiroth apologetically. The alpha had taken a seat further away from them and was looking uncharacteristically chagrined. He slipped out of Tseng's lap when Sephiroth held out his hand.

"He needs some dramamine from the dispensary," Tseng said casually as he was enveloped in Sephiroth's embrace.

"Seasickness?"

"Mmm hmm. And I need to talk to you in private at some point soon."

Sephiroth stroked his hair gently. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I wouldn't be letting him near you if you had. Just some things you need to be aware of."

"Okay, I'll go get him the medicine now. Maybe we can talk after dinner?"

Tseng nodded, so Sephiroth took him by the hand and led him out of the room.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out as soon as the door shut behind them.

"No, Cloud, you didn't do anything wrong. I would have liked to have known where you were, but I knew you'd be safe on the ship. I didn't need to get upset like I did."

"I just went down to see the chocobos. That's where Tseng found me."

Sephiroth chuckled and nodded. "I clearly checked there too late, then. I'm glad he found you, and I'm sorry I didn't notice that you weren't feeling good." He paused for a moment. "You don't need my permission to do what you like, but until we get you settled in Midgar, do you think you could let me know when you're going to disappear? Just so I don't worry?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I didn't mean … and Tseng got mad at you …"

"He did, didn't he?" Sephiroth laughed loudly and squeezed Cloud's hand. "I've never been scolded like that before. Looks like we both get to have some new experiences."

Cloud looked up in shock as Sephiroth continued to laugh.

"Sorry, it's not that I think what he was mad about is anything to laugh at. It was just really shocking for me." When that failed to clear up his confusion, he explained further. "I'm the highest ranked SOLDIER. People don't tell me off. They just don't. They follow my orders. But SOLDIER rank doesn't mean anything when it comes to behaviour around omegas. As a mated alpha, and as head of the Turks with lots of experience working with rescued omegas, Tseng has significant rank over me, a lowly unmated alpha who doesn't really know what he's doing. And so now I have the experience of being both scolded and growled at. It probably won't be the last time, either. At least he didn't bite me. That would have been embarrassing."

They entered a small room with a padded table and a bunch of drawers full of bottles. Sephiroth spent a couple minutes looking, then read the instructions on one of them before handing over a pill and a cup of water. He poured a bunch more of the pills into a smaller bottle and put it in his pocket. "That should help with your seasickness, and I'll give you more as you need them. Do you want to go rest in our cabin until you're feeling better?"

"Yeah."

Sephiroth led him back to where they had come from, but opened the door next to the one he had been in with Tseng. He could hear noises from beyond the other door, and he blushed as he realized what they were. It hadn't seemed like Rufus was going into heat when they met, but it certainly sounded he was in the middle of it now.

"The president of Shinra is really an omega?"

Sephiroth nodded. "He certainly is. And his half-brother, the director of SOLDIER, is as well. Being an omega doesn't have to stop you from doing anything you want."


	5. A History Lesson

Midgar.

Sephiroth stopped to let Cloud stare at the massive city in the distance. He had imagined bigger than Nibelheim. And he had tried his best to imagine bigger than Corel and Costa del Sol. He had tried imagining all three put together, but it hadn't compared to what was looming on the horizon.

"That's a city?" He felt so very, very small. "How many people live in it?"

"About a half a million."

He tried to think how many that was, but couldn't remember what came after the twenties. Half a million sounded enormous.

"Once we're there, it won't feel so big. You'll have a nice little apartment with just you and one other person. You can get to know your neighbours gradually. I'll be one of them, and you can come visit me any time you'd like. And Tseng said that you're welcome to visit with him and Rufus as well. I'll show you where the chocobo stables are, and we can go over the route as many times as you need until you're confident you can get there and back on your own."

"I suppose that's a good way of looking at it. Nibelheim was pretty big compared to my room." He relaxed a bit as Sephiroth clucked to Birdy and let her move on. "Why does it look so strange? What're all those tall skinny things?"

"Those are the supports that used to hold up the plate. I can show you the pictures of it in the history books if you'd like, but basically, Midgar used to be built on two levels. The old Shinra company was the one who originally built it. The main city was on the top section. It was called the plate, and that was where all the rich people lived. Underneath were the slums where the poor people lived with no daylight and unprotected from monsters, which were a lot worse at the time."

"What happened?" Sephiroth had his full attention. He'd never heard anything like this before.

"Hmm, I suppose I should actually go a bit more in depth. Do you know where alphas and omegas came from?"

Cloud shook his head.

"They were a genetic experiment created by Shinra—the old Shinra—a long time ago. Alphas were the original SOLDIERs. They were created to be Shinra's army, and with their strength, Shinra basically ruled the whole world."

"All of it? The world's really big, isn't it?"

"Pretty much all, yes, and it is very big, but technology was different then, and they had common ways of travelling that were much faster than by chocobo or ship, and different weapons that could cause a lot of destruction. Mako power was used for everything, and they controlled all the supply. People needed the power, and they were afraid of the SOLDIERs.

"Anyway, so alphas were SOLDIERs, and for whatever reason I don't understand, they couldn't have children with women. They weren't infertile, but women would get sick and die if they were impregnated by a SOLDIER. Shinra was always looking for ways to improve SOLDIERs, and the people in charge wanted to be able to breed stronger SOLDIERs. So the scientists created omegas. Hybrids between alphas and women who could survive a pregnancy, producing stronger offspring."

"So I'm like … half woman?" That was odd. Yes, he had a vagina and would have been able to get pregnant if he hadn't been sterilized, but he had never considered himself a woman.

"No, you're an omega. Omegas have changed so much since the original experiments that at this point, you're something entirely unrelated to the beta genders of male and female. I think you mostly consider yourselves male simply for ease of use of the language and fitting in with society, which was never meant to have three genders. Or a fourth if we consider alphas separate as well."

"That's complicated."

Sephiroth leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Yes, but you're smart. It doesn't matter if you understand something fully the first time you learn it. An overview that you can build onto is best. So, back to the city. A lot of authorities say that it was Shinra's fault, or even SOLDIER's, but nobody actually knows for sure what happened. A huge calamity—a disaster struck the planet around a hundred years ago. It affected everywhere, but it was centred on Midgar. The plate fell, killing thousands of people and destroying the mako reactors. Without the reactors, there was no more power. Since everything relied on it, the world came to a standstill. People couldn't farm anymore, and so there wasn't enough food. Even where there was food, it couldn't be transported to where the people who needed it were. Hospitals couldn't work, and medicine couldn't be made. People froze in their homes. Hundreds of thousands more died."

"That's awful."

"It was. And by that point, alphas had developed their protective instincts towards omegas. Alphas are much stronger than both betas and omegas, and they were able to withstand many of the hardships caused by the calamity. Faced with what should have been difficult choices, they did what alphas will always do: they protected the omegas. Even when it meant taking food from starving children or outright killing betas so they couldn't have what the omegas needed."

Cloud gasped, although, after seeing the way Sephiroth and Tseng behaved towards him and Rufus, especially around the betas who had been on the ship, he could almost believe it. "Is that why betas hate omegas so much?"

Sephiroth nodded. "Partly, though some are just bigots. They hate alphas too, but alphas are never born into the general population. They're always the offspring of an alpha and an omega, so the babies are born into safety unless something goes terribly wrong. By the time they're adults, they can protect themselves. Betas are reluctant to express their hate at that point, rightfully fearing repercussions. But omegas usually have regular beta parents, so they have no such guarantee of safety."

The city was growing nearer as Sephiroth talked. Cloud could see patches of green amid tall buildings and the remains of the old supports. It looked like some things had been built right onto the supports. A patchwork city. Like the blanket on his old bed.

"So what happened next?"

"More disaster, I'm afraid. Around two years after the initial calamity, which came to be called Meteor Fall, though there's no evidence of a meteor actually striking anywhere on the planet at the time, a disease cropped up in Midgar and spread quickly throughout the surviving population. People had been starting to regroup themselves, and several organizations had begun coordinating survival efforts and developing alternative power sources. The disease halted those efforts in their tracks. It was called geostigma, and it would slowly kill anyone who had it. No one could figure out how it spread or how to treat it. But …"

"But?" Cloud was on the edge of his seat.

"Omegas didn't get it. Not a single one."

"Are we really that different?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "Apparently. An unmated omega snuck away from the alphas who were … protecting him and found a beta doctor. The doctor did some tests and realized that a simple blood transfusion from an omega destroyed the geostigma cells in a patient. That omega donated as much blood as he could, and then spread the word." Sephiroth shook his head. "Oh, Cloud, you should really see the pictures from back then. They were so brave."

"What did they do?" Brave was never a word he had heard connected with omega.

"The alphas didn't want to help anyone but themselves. The more betas who died, they figured, the more resources they would have. Omegas hadn't gotten much, if any say up until that point. They were basically the alphas' prisoners and were treated more or less as well-liked pets and incubators. Well, they decided that enough was enough. They banded together and revolted. They went on sex strikes and hunger strikes and hurt themselves until the alphas agreed to let them help.

"There was one group that did what they called heat strikes. When one of them went into heat, he would allow himself to be restrained so he couldn't touch himself, then the other omegas would parade him in front of the alphas while not letting them get near. The alphas were stronger, but they would have had to hurt the omegas to get to the one in heat, which they couldn't do. The omega would go through his whole heat like that unless the alphas took them to places that needed blood and allowed them to donate."

"They … the _whole _heat? But wouldn't that kill them?"

"Yes. Many died for what they believed was right, but through their sacrifice, they wiped geostigma off the face of the planet, saving thousands and thousands of lives. Then they began working with the betas to make an arrangement so that all three groups: alphas, omegas, and betas, could survive and prosper together."

"Then why do they still hate us?"

Sephiroth sighed and hugged him tightly. "A lot of the surviving betas had congregated near Midgar by the time geostigma first appeared. Almost all of the alphas were there, and as things had started getting better, it was actually safer to be near them because the alphas dealt with the monsters. Midgar and its surrounding areas were the hardest hit by geostigma, since that was where it had started, and so that's where most of the omega's efforts were focussed. You've experienced firsthand how long it takes to travel by chocobo and ship, and that's been with good, strong 'bos, fully stocked rations, and a modern, gas-powered ship. Getting to distant areas took too long, and although it eventually happened, it was in the form of frozen blood donations. One alpha carrying donations could travel much faster than enough omegas. The rural areas never knew what the omegas went through to save them, if they even knew that omega blood was the cure in the first place.

"I admit that alphas haven't helped much in the rural areas. We're more concerned with protecting omegas born there than forging good relationships. But the omegas' dreams of an alliance did come to fruition, if only here in Midgar. Betas won't hate you here, Cloud. People remember what they did. They remember, and they're grateful."

XXX

"Hello, Cloud. My name is Doctor Gast. Do you think it would be all right if I look you over and perhaps we could talk about a few things?"

Cloud looked up at Sephiroth, who remained a steady presence at his side. "I don't want to be naked."

"That's fine. You don't have to be. Would you like Sephiroth to stay with you? It might feel a bit safer to have someone you know and can trust with you."

"Yes." The doctor was an omega and mated, he could tell that easily now, but Sephiroth was safe.

"I'll be right here with you, then, Cloud. Nothing to worry about." Sephiroth rubbed his shoulder gently.

"All right. How about we start with some pictures? I have a really neat camera that can take pictures of your bones."

"My bones!?"

"And they don't even cut you open for it," Sephiroth said with a smile. "It's pretty damn cool. Can he take one home as a souvenir?"

Doctor Gast laughed and shook his head. "Yes, I suppose we can make an extra copy."

Despite being initially not quite sure about the doctor, Cloud was feeling fairly comfortable by the time Doctor Gast had taken a bunch of pictures with a machine that made a clonking noise, then poked him with some needles and drawn a bunch of blood. Cloud had been allowed to listen to everyone's heartbeat and breathing with the stethoscope, including his own, and he wondered if he might be able to get one for when he was feeling scared. The rhythmic noises were calming. Doctor Gast had a joke for every procedure, and something made him laugh every time there might have been some pain.

"Do you think you could let me look between your legs, Cloud?" Doctor Gast asked after they had been there for a while. "You don't need to be naked. You can wear a gown and I'll have a sheet to cover you up with so I only see what I absolutely need to see."

"Will you just look?"

"If you'll let me, it would be very helpful if I could touch a little bit. I'd put two fingers inside of you, using a glove and some lubricant so it doesn't hurt, and then I would press on your belly with my other hand so I can feel your organs and make sure they're okay. Then I'd use this device, called a speculum, to open you up so I can use a swab to take a sample from inside. It's a little bit uncomfortable, but it doesn't take very long. Then it will be over and you'd be able to get dressed again."

Cloud looked to Sephiroth, who had remained fairly silent through everything they'd done. "It's a good thing? If I say yes?"

"It's a very good thing. Checkups like this are an important part of staying healthy. If Doctor Gast finds a small problem, he'll be able to treat it right away rather than waiting until the point where it's making you sick. I go for a very similar checkup every year. It isn't pleasant, but it's a good thing to do."

"What do they do at your checkup?"

Sephiroth laughed. "I get fingers up my bum and a swab in my penis. I don't like it at all."

Cloud gave him a small smile, feeling slightly less terrified to know that it was normal for Sephiroth as well. "O—okay. I'll do it. But can I use the stethoscope again?"

XXX

Sephiroth concentrated on keeping his breathing steady for Cloud as he moved the stethoscope around on his chest while the doctor did what he needed. It was a good distraction. After what Tseng had said about Cloud needing to learn to cope with his trauma, this seemed like a good step forward. Cloud was learning his own methods of dealing with things he was frightened of.

That was good. He knew he would much prefer to have Cloud wanting his purring because it made him feel comfortable and connected to him, rather than because it made him not panic.

"And you're all done, Cloud. You did really well." Doctor Gast lowered the sheet again and rolled his stool back. "Go ahead and get dressed, and then we'll have a talk in my office. Do you still want Sephiroth with you?"

"Yes." Cloud was surprisingly assertive.

"Okay, we'll just wait outside for you while you get dressed."

Sephiroth gave Cloud's hand one more squeeze, then followed the doctor out.

"I'm glad he wants you with him," Doctor Gast said quietly while they waited, "but this isn't going to be easy to hear. I need you to stay calm for him."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll do my best. He's told me at least some of what happened to him already."

"Well, that's something. He's seeing Doctor Aerith after this?"

"Yes, just to meet her."

"Good. I'm sure his mental scars are worse than his physical ones, and he has plenty of those."

Cloud opened the door and came out, blushing shyly. He held out the stethoscope. "Thank you."

"I'd like you to hang onto that. I have another, so I think it would be good for you to have it. Come now, let's go sit down."

"I can really keep it? Th—thank you."

The doctor's office had a comfortable couch in it, and Cloud curled up next to him with the stethoscope draped around his neck.

"Now, Cloud, I understand from Sephiroth's report that you've been able to gain a bit of weight since he first met you. That's really good, and I'd like you to keep eating well. I'm going to put you on a monitored diet that will help you gain the rest of the weight that you need and ensure that you're getting enough of the right nutrients. It's also a good way for you to learn what a healthy meal should look like and will help you expand your palette—the variety of foods you like to eat. Try things a few times at least, and then if there's anything that you really don't like, just set it aside or tell your roommate and the cooks will adjust. Your meals will be delivered to your apartment three times a day for the next month, and then we'll re-evaluate."

"What if he's going out?" Sephiroth asked. "He needs to start getting to know people soon."

"That's fine, your roommate will be able to help you cancel a meal when you need to. You can also ask for another if you'd like to eat in with someone. I would like you to have at least two meals a day at home, however."

Sephiroth nodded in satisfaction. He understood the importance of Cloud following the diet, but had been looking forward to taking Cloud out for a meal that wasn't trail rations or foraged.

"Do you have any questions about the diet, Cloud?"

Cloud shook his head, so the doctor pulled out the folder with the x-rays.

"These are the pictures I took of you." He clipped them into the light panels and flicked them on. "They look pretty good, but there are a couple of things I'd like to ask about so we can get a more complete picture of your health. These are your ribs here, and it looks like some of them have been broken at some point. Do you know what happened? An injury like this would have made it very painful to breathe."

"I was bad," he said softly. "I went outside without permission."

"I see. Do you remember how long ago it was? And maybe how long it took to stop hurting?"

"The first time … I think I was ten. I don't remember how long it took."

Sephiroth suppressed a growl. The _first _time? He held Cloud close as he explained the second and third times when his beatings had caused that type of pain. Doctor Gast then put up the x-ray of his head, and Cloud told them that he had fainted because he was hungry after a heat and seemed to recall something about a skull fracture. At least they had been forced to let him see a doctor for that.

He felt sick with anger, but was doing his best to not show it, by the time Doctor Gast moved on to discussing the scarring he had seen when he examined Cloud's genitals. The incident with the switch hadn't happened just once, either. Cloud assured them, crying, that he hadn't touched himself since the first time, but the mayor gave him regular 'reminders' that he was bad. He couldn't keep himself from pulling Cloud into his lap and purring for him until they had both calmed down.

Doctor Gast was waiting patiently when he finally stopped. "I'm going to say this again and again, Cloud, until you can truly believe it in your heart. You are good. What was done to you was wrong. It was abuse and assault. You did not deserve it."

Sephiroth nodded as he wiped away their tears. "I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise."

"It will take time and effort, but we're going to give you all the support you need. You _will _be okay, Cloud. There _will_ be a day, hopefully soon, when all of that will just be a memory and you'll know that you're safe and loved and that your body is a wonderful thing that brings you joy."

Cloud gave them a small smile. "Thank you. I—I want that."

"It will happen, and until then, don't hesitate to rely on your support network. I'm part of that network, and you can always make an appointment with me if you have any concerns or questions. Your scarring is severe, but Sephiroth didn't say it interfered with your ability to have intercourse during your heat at all, correct?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I didn't notice anything wrong, and he wasn't in pain except for the first knot. The intercourse we had was entirely heat-driven though, so …"

"I think things will be fine, but if you ever notice it hurting, during intercourse, masturbation, or otherwise, come see me right away."

"Okay."

"Now, just a couple last things to talk about before I let you go. Namely, personal hygiene. Some omegas are told to clean inside their vaginas using soap or other chemicals. I suspect that's not something you do, but you should know that it's not necessary. Your vagina keeps itself clean on its own, and putting soap in it disturbs its natural balance. Your new home will have a bottle of this in the shower for washing your body." He held out a picture of the wash that was the most popular among omegas. "You can clean the outside of your vaginal area using it, just rinse it off thoroughly with warm, not hot water, and pat yourself dry with a clean towel. Nothing more is necessary. If something ever doesn't feel right, come see me and we'll figure out what the problem is."

Doctor Gast showed Cloud several pictures that depicted how to wash all of his genitals. Cloud leaned forward curiously and ran his fingers over them with interest as Gast explained.

"When you're feeling more comfortable with your body, you might want to consider using a small mirror to have a good look at yourself on a regular basis. Learn what you look and feel like, and that way you can notice any changes. Now, your teeth looked pretty good, but we'll make you an appointment with a dentist in a week or two after you've had a chance to settle in. They'll clean your teeth and check for any cavities or other problems, and also show you how to brush and floss properly."

"Okay." Cloud still seemed a bit distracted by the pictures, and Sephiroth wondered if an erotic magazine might not help Cloud start to understand that his body was normal and attractive. Nothing over-the-top or raunchy, but something a little more sexual than a tightly cropped medical picture of an omega pulling back his foreskin to wash it might be good.

XXX

Cloud took a deep breath when they finally left the doctor's office. How much longer until he could go to sleep? He understood now why they had stayed at an inn right outside the city. Trying to do this after a full day's ride would have been so much worse.

"The visit to Doctor Aerith will be quick and painless, I promise," Sephiroth said sympathetically as he helped him up onto Birdy.

"And then I see my apartment and meet my roommate? What will he be like?"

"I'm not sure who your roommate is, but I know that he'll be kind. People who volunteer to live with omegas who've been rescued take lessons from the Turks on how to behave. He'll make sure you have what you need and that you know the things you need to know, but he won't overwhelm you like I sometimes do."

"Huh …" Cloud put the earpieces of his stethoscope in and listened to his own heartbeat as they rode through the busy streets. He was glad to know that his roommate had wanted the position. He didn't like being an unwanted burden.

The ride to their next destination was short, and Sephiroth came to a stop in front of a huge building. It had double doors that could have fit four chocobos comfortably side by side, and they reached up far higher than that. Some of the windows didn't have glass in them, but those that did had coloured glass that formed pictures or pretty patterns. A beta woman stood outside, and she waved as Sephiroth dismounted and lifted him down. She was the prettiest woman he'd ever seen.

"I was beginning to think you'd never show!" she called to them in a pleasant voice.

"Doctor Gast ran a bit long," Sephiroth explained. "Do you still have time?"

"Of course. Hi, Cloud, my name's Aerith. It's wonderful to meet you."

"Not—Not Doctor?"

She shook her head, and her long ponytail swung from side to side. "I am a doctor, but just Aerith is fine. Come on in. I won't keep him long," she added to Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth can't come?" he asked, suddenly frightened.

"He can if you really want him to this time, but no, not normally. Our meetings will be just for you and me for now. I promise I don't bite."

Cloud shook his head and backed away. He didn't want to be alone with a beta.

"I'll come in this time," Sephiroth said, asserting his decision for him. "It's been a difficult enough day already."

"All right." Aerith turned and pulled open one of the big doors. Cloud stared in shock at the inside, if that was the right word.

There was no roof on the building, although there were beams that indicated there had once been one. Instead of furniture, there was a big pool of water surrounded by flowers. Sunlight shone in from above, and also through the coloured glass, changing the colour of the light.

"What …?"

"This is my office. If the weather's bad, there's a room in back that has the socially acceptable number of roofs, but otherwise, this is where we'll meet. Now, for today, I just want to explain what our sessions will be like so you don't need to worry. I'll always meet you outside, so please don't come in on your own. Because there's no other barrier, I don't want people knocking or walking in, just in case I'm with a patient. There are some comfortable chairs around the side where you can wait if I'm running late."

"I understand." He was glad that people weren't allowed to just come in. He assumed the same rule would apply during his sessions.

"When we meet, we can talk about anything you'd like. We don't even have to talk at all if you don't want to. Sometimes I think it's nice to sit in the flowers and just have a think. But I'd like to get to know you. You can tell me about your past, or how you're spending your days, or plans you're considering for the future. You can tell me about your trip here. I've never left Midgar, so I like to hear about other places. You can come to me with any worries or problems that you're not sure how to deal with. I can give you suggestions and advice. I can help you get to know yourself, so you can understand your feelings and emotions and learn how to overcome the terrible things that have been done to you and live a happy life. Do you think that sounds okay?"

"Umm, yeah." For some reason, the confidence that Aerith spoke with made her seem not so scary. Even though she was a beta, he wondered if it might not be okay if Sephiroth wasn't there. The alpha had put a fair bit of distance between them as Aerith had been speaking, but he didn't feel the urge to go to him for comfort or protection.

"Good. I'm so glad. While we talk, I'm going to be taking some notes, writing down both what you say and my thoughts about it. The notes are confidential. That means that no one but you and I are allowed to see them. Can you read?"

Cloud blushed and shook his head.

"That's okay, I'm sure you'll learn soon. Shinra has some very good teachers. When you do, you can read them any time, and until then, you can ask and I'll read them to you. And like the notes, I won't tell anyone else what you say to me. However, I know that you have to find a mate soon, which is a stressful time for many omegas. If the alphas are doing something that bothers or upsets you, I will absolutely tell them to stop. I won't tell them why, or give them any details, but I won't sit by and let them make you feel uncomfortable."

"That—if something scares me, could I tell you, and you would tell them?" Cloud asked.

"I most certainly will. Alphas are usually pretty decent people, but they can also be dumb as rocks when they're going after a mate. They don't always pick up on hints until it's too late and damage is done, and I know that saying things directly in that sort of situation can be intimidating for even the most confident of omegas. Does that make looking for a mate seem a little bit less frightening?"

"Yes. I just ..." He trailed off and shrugged. "Saying I don't want it just gets me in trouble."

"I understand. While that's not the case here, saying no takes a lot of practice. So let's practice. Little by little, bit by bit, you'll get there. And while you're getting there, I'll help fill in the gaps. Let's work together, Cloud. Let me help you build the life you deserve."


	6. Welcome Home

A/N: Did you guys see the new trailer!? Forget cautious optimism, I'm so excited.

XXX

The apartment building was tall, though not as tall as some of the buildings in the cluster that Sephiroth said was owned by Shinra. He wondered how many people lived in it. They left Birdy and Pippin at the stable next to the building. Sephiroth told the young alpha working there that Cloud was allowed to visit his chocobos any time, and not to worry about him going in the stalls or yard with them.

"Even with Birdy?" the alpha asked, looking shocked.

Sephiroth just laughed as they turned to go. "Even with Birdy. She has a bad habit of biting people who annoy her, but I think we can safely say that you don't."

Inside, they rode in an elevator up to the tenth floor. Sephiroth showed him which buttons to push to get there and back down again, then it was a short walk down a hall to a door with a big red triangle on it.

"This is your apartment. The triangle is to tell people that there's a new omega living here, and so they need to be mindful. It's also a handy way for you to know that you've got the right place before you've learned your way around."

Cloud nodded. That was nice of them. The button on the elevator was easy enough to remember, with just a line and a circle, but the label beside the door was long, and he had a feeling that there'd be a lot of new things to learn and remember over the next while.

Sephiroth pressed a button beside the door and just a couple seconds later, an omega with bright red hair opened it.

"Hey, you made it! I'm Reno. Welcome home, Cloud." He took Cloud's hand and shook it up and down.

Home … "Nice to meet you."

"Come in, come in. Take off your shoes and put them here beside mine. Thanks for dropping him off, Sephiroth. You can go now."

"I wanted to show him where my place is," Sephiroth protested.

"I'll make sure he knows when he needs to, don't worry."

"But—"

"Tseng sent orders ahead. Alphas leave him alone for today and tomorrow. That means you too."

"Cloud, do you—"

"Get out, yo!" Reno gave Sephiroth a shove. "Give him a chance to get the stink of overprotective alpha off him. I promise I'll take very good care of him, and if he needs you, I'll call right away."

Cloud remained frozen by the shoes, watching in awe as the omega physically pushed the alpha out the door. Reno was unmated—he'd have been able to tell even if he hadn't been told—but he didn't seem remotely intimidated by or attracted to Sephiroth. He slammed the door in Sephiroth's face and turned to Cloud.

"Lesson one. Alphas are pushy. Push back. Have you eaten lunch?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Let's eat, then. Doctor Gast's office called to say that you'd be getting your meals delivered, which I figured would be the case. The first will be dinner tonight, though, so I made sandwiches for lunch."

"Oh, thank you."

Reno just waved him further in. "We share the kitchen, dining, and living areas. Here, take the plates to the table and have a seat." He handed over a large plate stacked high with sandwiches and two smaller ones, then pointed him towards a round table with four chairs. "So yeah, I'll keep the kitchen stocked until you're ready to help with the shopping. Help yourself to anything you want, any time. If there's something I'm saving or want specifically for myself, I'll put a pink sticker on it. Please don't eat it. Your stickers are yellow. Whack them on anything you want to rescue from me, 'cause I eat a lot. If we run out of something, just leave the empty container on the counter for now so I know to get more."

His roommate put a glass of something white in front of him, then sat down and grabbed a sandwich.

"Go on, don't be shy," he said around a huge mouthful.

The sandwiches were good. It was impossible to keep up with how much and how fast Reno ate, but Cloud ate as much as he could and had two glasses of the drink called milk, which was apparently good for him. When they finished, Reno showed him how to put the dishes in the dishwasher and had him wipe off the table.

"I'm not actually a very tidy person," Reno admitted, "but they make us show you stuff like that so you can build good habits."

"They? The Turks?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna be one, but I want to wait until I'm mated. A job like this in the meantime gives me good experience and a better chance of getting in."

"Why do you have to wait?"

"I want to work in the field, and for my own safety when I'm around outsider betas, it's important to have a mate. Don't get me wrong, I can take care of myself, but it's better to be safe. I'm in no rush, though. I like my freedom, and being someone's roommate isn't a half-bad job."

"So you don't need to mate soon? How old are you?" Reno seemed like he was around his age.

Reno gave his head a shake. "Don't need to, don't want to. I'm twenty, but I only started going into heat a year ago. My doctor thinks I won't need to mate for at least a couple years."

"Only a year?" Cloud stared in shock.

"Yeah." Reno's cheeks turned red to match his hair. "I'm actually part of a study. It looks like omegas who are raised in Midgar and Wutai start their heats later than people from other places, though even for here, I'm a really late bloomer. When did you start?"

"I think I was around thirteen."

"Shit … that's brutal. The lady doing the study thinks that if an omega's being abused, his heats will start sooner and last longer each time because his body is trying to attract an alpha. They can notice us from a much bigger distance when we're in heat, so it's like your body was screaming for help and hoping someone would hear." Reno reached across the table and gave his hand a squeeze. "Come on, I'll show you the rest of the place."

"My room is here. If the door's open, just come in if you need something or want to hang out. If it's closed, knock first 'cause I might be jerking off or fucking. The insulation's pretty good, so we shouldn't disturb each other too much. And this is you."

Cloud's room was on the other side of the apartment, and he opened the door on a room that was vastly different from his room in Nibelheim. A big bed was against the far wall. It had a thick blanket and lots of fat pillows. There was a large window that overlooked the city, a chest of drawers, a desk and chair, and two more doors. Pretty pictures hung on the walls, and there was a mirror as tall as he was beside the door.

"Sephiroth said you like lots of blankets, so I got a bunch extra. They're just in the closet. I wasn't sure what kind of styles you'd like, so I didn't get many clothes, but I got you some basics that will hopefully fit if Sephiroth's guesses at size didn't suck, and we can go shopping together when you feel up to it. Your bathroom is here. It should have everything you need." He opened one of the doors and turned on the light.

The bathroom was bright and clean, with a separate shower stall and bathtub.

"Do you know about shampoo and toothpaste and stuff?"

Cloud nodded. Sephiroth had showed him how to wash his hair with shampoo and conditioner instead of a bar of soap when they were at the cabin. He liked how nice it made his hair feel.

"Okay, great. If you have any questions, just ask. I don't mind explaining. We'll go through how to keep things clean and tidy over the coming days so you can develop a routine. Oh, and I got you a few dildos since Sephiroth said yours wasn't any good." He turned back to the main room and opened the drawer in the table by the bed. "They're just in here. They're pretty self-explanatory. This button controls the knot. Press it once to inflate it and again to deflate. This one vibrates. On/off, intensity up and down. Recharge it using this cable. This one doesn't knot if you want something plain when you're not in heat. Don't use any lubricant other than this with them. And this soap is for cleaning them. Your next heat is in about two weeks, right?"

"Yes." Cloud was fairly certain his face had caught fire.

"Cool. If you don't want an alpha with you, I can help you through it. Mine's in three weeks. I've got another omega friend who helps me, but you're welcome to watch and help out as well. Sometimes it's good to see someone else in heat so you can have a better idea of what it's like when your head's on straight."

"You don't have an alpha with you?" Cloud asked.

Reno shook his head violently. "No. Totally not ready for that. I like sex, but to be honest, I'm kinda scared of being so out of control with an alpha, not to mention being knotted. I know it's not supposed to hurt, even the first time, since I've been using a proper dildo since my heats started, but I don't know, it just seems so intense. Being … attached." He sat down on the end of the bed and patted the spot next to him. "Sephiroth knotted you, right? While you were travelling? What was it like?"

Cloud blushed again as he sat. "Intense is a pretty good word. It hurt the first time, though nowhere near as much as it did when I was using my old dildo. After that … it felt good. Really good. I don't know if it's different than using one of those dildos though."

"I've heard it is. I mostly just feel relieved when I knot myself, not particularly good. Some people say getting knotted by an alpha makes them come, but I never have with my dildo."

"I did. By the third time and every time after."

"Huh. Well, I guess I'll find out eventually." He paused and laughed. "Sorry, this is probably a really weird conversation for you, isn't it?"

Cloud grinned and nodded. "Little bit."

"Tell me to fuck off if I make you uncomfortable. My friends and I are pretty open about this stuff. I figure it's good to share our experiences, but it's okay if you don't want to."

He paused and thought for a moment. It was a little embarrassing, but it also felt quite natural talking with Reno. He wondered if it was because he was an omega as well, and also not the president of the company that had taken him in. Rufus was something else entirely. "It's kind of nice, actually. I—I've never had someone to—never met someone who understood what it's like."

Reno draped an arm over his shoulders and pulled him close. "I understand, trust me. Sometimes my body'll do something and I'll be like, 'am I a fucking alien?' And I'll tell my friend and he'll be all, 'holy shit, that freaked me out too, but it's totally normal.' Clear, but kinda goopy discharge, by the way, totally normal."

Cloud laughed. "Good to know."

"Totally gross when it gets all over your balls, but there we have it."

"It is, isn't it?"

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"What are my options?"

Reno thought for a moment. "Well, if you're tired, you can chill out here. Take a nap, or we can watch a movie or play a game. If you feel like going out, I can show you around the neighbourhood and maybe introduce you to some of my friends. Or we can just do a little tour of this building. There's a community floor upstairs that we can check out, and I can show you where Sephiroth's apartment is. Show only, though. You really do need some space from him or the other alphas will be too intimidated to talk to you. I don't know if he's doing it on purpose, but he's definitely marking his territory."

Cloud blushed and rubbed at his scent glands. "You can tell?"

"Hoooo yeah. Big time. But Tseng wanted you to have some no alpha time anyway, so it's no big deal. Gotta take a breather before jumping into the mating pool."

No alpha time. That was … that was good. So much had happened in the last few weeks that a bit of time to stop and process it was probably a good thing. He had no clue if he was attracted to Sephiroth because he actually liked him, or if it was simply because he had rescued him and had been kind. "Can I rest a bit? I don't know if I feel like going out."

"For sure. You've got some pyjamas in this drawer if you want, and this is a radio if you want to listen to music or something instead of sleeping. Just press this button to turn in on and turn these dials to get different stations and change the volume. Or you can come out to the living room to watch TV. I won't bother you if you need some space."

"I think … I think I want to sleep."

"All right. Have a good nap, then. Do you want me to wake you up after a certain time or would you rather just wake up on your own?"

Cloud shrugged. He honestly didn't know what to do with himself other than sleep to pass the time. But Reno had mentioned those other things, which sounded like they might be more interesting than just lying in bed all day and night.

"How about I wake you up in an hour and a half if you're not up before then? That way you can have a good rest, but you'll still be able to sleep tonight."

"Okay." He supposed that it would be good to try to stick to the schedule Sephiroth had set of being awake during the day and sleeping at night. That was probably what most people did.

"All right. I'll knock before I come back in."

He changed into the pyjamas Reno had taken out for him and lay down in the dark. The bed was so comfortable and the blanket was heavy. It felt a bit like Sephiroth was hugging him. He couldn't believe this was his life now. Yes, everything he had had been given to him, and he supposed it could be taken away. But Reno had called this his _home. _And welcomed him to it like he was actually wanted. This was _his _room, and he was wearing _his _clothes. With no talk of how much it cost and how much of a burden he was. And Reno wasn't just babying him, either. It was clear that once he knew how to do things, he'd be expected to help contribute and care for himself. He didn't _want _to be useless, he just didn't know what to do. But he knew he could learn if somebody taught him.

Cloud took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Sephiroth hadn't lied. Midgar was safe. Exhaustion tugged at him and he snuggled deeper under the blanket. He was safe.

XXX

Sephiroth was fairly sure he was going to leave a path on his living room floor showing exactly where he'd been pacing all afternoon. He couldn't help it. He hadn't thought he'd be completely cut off from Cloud as soon as they arrived. Was he settling in okay? Did Reno understand how fragile he was right now?

He growled lowly and turned to the packs he had simply dumped by the door when he got in after being kicked out by Reno. Dealing with them, he supposed, would at least be a small distraction.

"Shit!"

The first thing he saw when he opened his main pack was the stethoscope. He hadn't had a chance to give Cloud any of his things. Well, Doctor Gast had wanted him to have it, so Reno couldn't prevent him from bringing it to him. He set it aside and dug out the remainder of the items Cloud had accumulated during their travels. Mostly clothes, but Sephiroth had also carved a crude wooden chocobo for him over the course of a few evenings, and Rufus had taught him a dice game on the ship and given him a set to play with.

As he was gathering them up, his attention was caught by the Midgar history book on his bookshelf. It had a bunch of good pictures in it. Cloud would enjoy looking at it. He grabbed it as well and headed down the hall to Cloud's new apartment.

Unsurprisingly, Reno was the one who answered the door.

"Dude, you _have_ to leave him alone. He's doing great."

Sephiroth looked past Reno's shoulder and saw Cloud sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. The TV was on, but Cloud was looking at him curiously.

"I just want to give him his things."

Reno sighed and stepped out, shutting the door behind him. "I'll pass them on."

Sephiroth grumbled to himself, but it was clear that Reno wasn't going to let him near Cloud. And he did look okay.

Reno raised an eyebrow at the stethoscope and x-ray, but nodded when Sephiroth explained. He snorted with laughter at the chocobo, however.

"He'd never been given a single fucking thing that wasn't absolutely necessary to keep him alive, Reno," Sephiroth snapped. "I worked with what I had."

"I get it, it's just so fucking cute. Look at 'is wonky little head! You've really got it bad for him, don't you?"

Sephiroth blushed and ducked his head. "Just give it to him."

"I will, don't worry. I think it's really sweet, to be honest. Keep those clothes until they've been washed, though. He's just showered and I don't want you stinking him up again. And what's with the book? You know he can't read yet, right?"

"I know, but it's got a lot of pictures. I thought he might like seeing some of the omegas during the geostigma crisis."

Reno nodded slowly. "That's cool, but why don't you take him to the museum when Tseng lifts the ban instead?"

"I—"

"You _are_ planning on taking him on a date or two, aren't you? Take him there, they've got those same pictures, just bigger. You can explain what he's looking at. Give him the book after so he has a nice keepsake."

"I didn't think of that. It's a really good idea," Sephiroth admitted.

Reno just shook his head. "Well, I don't have an omega I want to mate making me crazy, so I'm bound to have better ideas than you. Thanks for the stuff, I'm sure he'll be happy that you were thinking of him. Now fuck off, he's going to watch his very first movie and he's hella excited."

Sephiroth smiled, only feeling slightly disappointed that he couldn't share the experience with Cloud. "Thanks for taking care of him."


	7. Oozing Alphas and Brave Omegas

Cloud gave up and dumped his coin pouch out on the counter. "Sorry," he said as he began his search for the right coins again.

"No problem. Take your time." The girl who worked at the shop near the apartment building waved the people who had lined up behind him over to the other till.

Cloud flushed with embarrassment, but nobody said anything. He had a little badge with a red triangle on it that he pinned to his shirt every time he went out. That way people could see at a glance that he was new and learning. He had the numbers up to the thousands and all the letters down pat now, but counting out the right amount of gil when he went shopping was hard. His teacher said not to be lazy, though. He was supposed to get as close to the exact amount as he could instead of just getting change all the time.

"Okay." He set two hundred gil coins and three ten gil coins into the tray with the three bills he had counted out before. "I think that's right."

"Can I make a suggestion?" the girl asked.

Cloud paused in scooping up the remaining coins. "All right."

"If you give me one more gil, I'll be able to give you back a five as change instead of four ones."

"Oh!" He stopped and thought a moment. That did make sense. He fished out a one and put it in the tray. "Thank you. I'll try to remember that."

"You're welcome." She handed over a five gil coin and his receipt.

Cloud double-checked the groceries against the list Reno had made as he put them into his bag, feeling immensely proud of himself. Ten items matched up with the ten pictures, plus one treat for himself.

"Got everything you needed?"

Cloud turned to look up at an unfamiliar alpha. His hair spiked up even more than Cloud's own, and he had a friendly smile as he tossed things into a bag without looking.

"Yeah, I think so." Cloud flushed when he felt the now familiar flutter of attraction that he always felt around alphas. "First time by myself."

"Oh shit, really? Congrats! I'm Zack."

"Nice to meet you." This had also become fairly routine. Ever since they had been allowed, alphas were constantly introducing themselves to him. It got tiring, especially knowing what they all wanted. He understood that it was good to have options and meet lots of people before deciding, but he wished he could be like Reno sometimes. Since Reno didn't need to mate yet, alphas weren't so forward with him. He had some people that he saw regularly, and if he flirted with someone, they would flirt back if they were interested, but other than that, they left him alone. He just wanted to get used to life here first.

Zack looked at him curiously. "And you are?"

He blinked in surprise. "You don't know?"

"Should I?"

"I just—everyone always knows my name before I meet them."

"Ah, gotcha. Sorry, I just got back to Midgar. I was out in the jungle for six months, so I haven't caught up on all the gossip yet."

"Are you a SOLDIER?"

"Yeah, Second Class. So … you gonna tell me your name or do I get to guess over coffee? I wouldn't mind doing that at all."

He flushed again and shook his head. "Cloud."

"What? You're the guy Sephiroth brought back? But wasn't that only like a week ago?"

Cloud thought for a second. "Nine days."

"Damn, and you're already shopping on your own? I'm impressed."

"You don't need to be condescending about it. I'm not stupid." Cloud picked up his bag and turned away.

"What, no, I didn't mean to—I'm sorry. It's just that some people take a lot longer to adjust."

"Well I don't have time to hide in my room, as everyone keeps reminding me. I have to go out and let dumb alphas hit on me constantly." He stomped off, feeling even more proud of himself as the alpha shouted after him, apologizing. Maybe he couldn't be exactly like Reno, but perhaps some of his confidence was rubbing off.

He stomped the whole way down the block until he bumped into Sephiroth, who was on his way out.

"Are you all right?" Sephiroth asked.

"No! I'm sick of being asked out and hit on all the time. I can't even have a moment to be proud of myself for doing the shopping without some alpha oozing over to see if I want a coffee. How much damn coffee am I supposed to be able to drink? I don't even like coffee! I'm cancelling our date tomorrow."

"Oh, okay …"

"Would you like to go out with me tomorrow? I've heard the Midgar Museum of History is really good."

Sephiroth blinked a few times and cocked his head to the side.

"_I_ want to do the asking out for a change." Yes, it was stupid and probably meaningless, but despite all the freedom he'd been given, things still felt so out of his control.

Sephiroth broke into a smile. "I'd love to go to the museum with you. What time will you pick me up?"

"Ten o'clock."

"I'll be ready. Is there someone I need to speak with?"

Cloud sighed, his anger fading. "No. He didn't do anything wrong. Just every time I turn around, someone's trying to get in my pants and I'm sick of it."

"I'll tell Tseng to change his orders. No more asking you out until you say otherwise. If there's someone you're interested in, you ask him."

He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I _am_ trying, but …"

"You are, and you're doing so well. We've been putting too much pressure on you. You're not out of time yet."

A hand rubbed his shoulder and Cloud leaned into the touch, wishing he could just be done with everything.

"Go relax. Have a break from us and our oozing. And nice work on the shopping, by the way. You deserve to be proud of yourself."

XXX

Sephiroth couldn't hold back his smile when his doorbell rang at precisely ten o'clock. He opened it on Cloud, who held out a bouquet of daisies.

"Are those for me?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"There was someone selling them from a cart when Reno and I went out for a walk this morning. I thought you might like them."

"Well, thank you. They're beautiful. Let me just put them in some water and then I'll be ready to go." Sephiroth took the flowers and rummaged around in his cupboards, searching for something suitable to put them in. He certainly didn't have a vase. Finally, he found a tall thermos near the back and filled it up. "No one's ever given me flowers before, so I'm a little unprepared. There, that'll do until I can get a vase. Thank you again."

"Reno told me how to get there, but it might be better if you just lead the way."

"No way. You lead, and I'll help out only if you want it. If we get lost, we'll call it an adventure." He held out his hand and Cloud gave him a shy smile as he took it.

"Okay."

"Zack asked me to apologize to you," he said as they walked. "He's a genuinely nice guy, and he didn't mean to upset you."

Cloud shook his head. "I was rude. I need to apologize to him."

"You were frustrated. It's not an excuse, but it's understandable. Would you like me to pass on your apology? Or I can give you his contact information."

"Aerith said it would be best to say sorry in person when I talked to her about it yesterday. We practiced. Can I have his information?"

"Sure. I'll get it for you when we get back." Sephiroth had to force himself to agree. Of all the people who had expressed their interest in Cloud so far, Sephiroth felt that he had the best chance, but he knew that Cloud would get along with Zack if he gave him a chance. Why did he have to come back from his mission? He had half a mind to send him back, but the rational side of his brain knew that he'd be rightfully hauled in front of a disciplinary committee in a heartbeat if he tried to interfere with an omega's mating options like that. Never mind the fact that it would be cruel to Cloud to keep him from interacting with someone he might genuinely be interested in.

Cloud pulled out a hand-drawn map and studied it and their surroundings for several moments before turning left. It wasn't quite the _wrong _direction, and Sephiroth said nothing as he walked beside his date, content to let him learn the streets without interference. There was no need to rush. As far as he was concerned, the longer they spent together, the better.

"Is this it?" Cloud asked when they finally arrived outside a big building with a large garden in front.

Sephiroth smiled and nodded. "Success."

The relief on Cloud's face was palpable. "I thought we'd be lost forever."

"I had faith. Do you feel like you're getting a better idea of how the streets are laid out?"

"Yeah, actually. It's a lot easier to understand when I can actually see it, rather than just following and looking at maps. Thanks for being patient."

Sephiroth shook his head. "Not at all. I enjoyed walking with you. I learn a lot better by doing things as well, so I understand. Want to grab an early lunch before we head in?" He pointed to the food stand that was by some picnic tables in the garden.

"Oh, yes, that would be good." Cloud paused to look at the sign over the stand, and sounded out the letters under his breath. "Hamburgers?"

"That's right. Hamburgers." Cloud's pronunciation was a bit off, but he picked up on the way Sephiroth said it and repeated it several times. He was impressed with Cloud's dedication to learning, and he felt rather badly for not trying to teach him more as they had travelled. He hadn't wanted to overwhelm him, but he could have at least taught him the alphabet and given him some simple things to read while they rode. It would have made his time at the cabin less boring.

"What'll you have?" the man working the stand asked.

"We need a few minutes. Do you have a menu that we can sit down and look at?"

He handed over a laminated sheet of paper, and Sephiroth led Cloud to one of the tables and sat next to him. "Do you want to try reading it?" There weren't many options, so it wouldn't take long.

Cloud gave him a small smile and nodded. "Is this what the hamburgers looks like?" he asked, pointing to the picture on the menu.

"Yes, it's a beef patty with some other toppings on a bun."

"It looks good." Cloud used his finger to trace under the words. "I want to have cheese on it," he declared after a while. "That's what this means, right?"

Sephiroth looked where Cloud was pointing. "Yes, that's exactly right. Should we get two hamburger sets with cheese, then?"

"Yes, I think that's what I'd like." He pulled out a little notebook and pencil from his pocket, and opened it to a page that had the day's date at the top. Sephiroth watched curiously as he painstakingly copied the word 'hamburgers' into the notebook, then wrote the price for one set twice, followed by the upcharge for cheese twice. He noticed that the other entry on the page was 'flowers' for 500 gil.

"Is this your budget book?" he asked.

"Yes. Reno helps me add it all up so I know how much money I spend and how much I have."

Before Sephiroth could say anything else, Cloud had put the notebook away and was hurrying back to the stand with the menu. He followed, unsure of whether or not he should step in. Cloud successfully ordered the two meals, but when he pulled out his wallet to pay, the cook looked back at him.

"Is it okay?"

Sephiroth shrugged helplessly. It felt wrong, but Cloud clearly wanted to pay. It wasn't like he couldn't afford it. The stipend Shinra gave him was generous enough, and budgeting was clearly being covered in the lessons he was taking. He wasn't forcing an omega to go without by not being the one to provide the meal.

"Is something wrong?" Cloud asked, looking nervous.

"No, it's fine," he forced himself to say. "I'll just wait at the table since you've got everything under control."

When Cloud returned bearing a tray, he was beaming, but when he sat down, he asked, "I did something wrong, didn't I?"

Sephiroth shook his head, but thought he should probably try to explain in case he ended up on a date with someone who would get upset about it. "Alphas can get … a bit insecure," he said as he took one of the burgers and showed Cloud how to unwrap it. "We like being the ones to pay for meals. It's not about the money, but more …" He paused and thought for a moment. "Wanting to prove that we can provide the necessities. It's fine, though. It just caught me—and apparently him over there off guard. Thank you very much for lunch."

"Nobody said anything about that," Cloud said shyly. "I like … I like being in charge of my own food."

The instant Cloud said it, Sephiroth understood perfectly, and felt terribly for saying anything. Considering that the people he had relied on for basic sustenance had pretty much starved him, it only made sense that he wanted control over his food now that he was gaining some independence. "Well, I know you're being taught social norms from both Reno and in your classes, so if nobody said anything, then clearly omegas have decided that we're silly and there's nothing wrong with you paying for a meal on a date." He took a big bite of his burger. "It's delicious."

Cloud laughed and copied him. The face he made was brief, but Sephiroth noticed it.

"What is it you don't like?"

"It's fine, it's just, I don't know, it's mostly nice, but there's something on it I don't like. Something crunchy."

Sephiroth lifted the top off of his bun and looked at the toppings. Cloud would have had most of them with his meals already. "Have you had raw onions or pickles before?"

"I've had pickles, and I like onions, but I think they've always been cooked."

"Try a bite of onion by itself." He held out a small piece from his burger, and Cloud wrinkled his nose again when he ate it. He smiled and lifted the top off Cloud's burger, then moved all the onions over to his. "There. I can salvage my alpha ego by rescuing you from onions. Next time you can ask for it with no onion and they'll make it that way from the start."

"O—okay. Thank you." He took another bite and nodded. "I like it without a lot better."

"So, tell me about the classes you've been taking. Are you enjoying them?"

"Yes, I like them a lot! On Monday I'm starting a cooking class. Aerith suggested it, and I'm really excited. I talked to Doctor Gast about it, and he said that he'd ask my teacher to show me how to make some of the things I'd have for my meals anyway, and that way I can cook for myself sometimes. Reading is so hard though, but I think I'll like it once I'm better at it. I'm just slow."

"A cooking class sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I think it's a really good skill to have, and personally, I find it relaxing to make myself a nice meal after a long day. Being able to cook for yourself will be a huge step towards independence. And don't worry about being slow at reading. Everyone is slow when they first start something new. It just takes practice."

Cloud smiled shyly. "Thanks for letting me try with the menu."

"No problem. I absolutely don't mind helping you out when you need it, but I'd rather let you try on your own first."

XXX

Cloud gasped as he stepped into the museum, staring at the massive model in front of him. "Is this Midgar? What it used to look like?"

"In all its short-lived glory."

There were two levels, just like Sephiroth had said. The top level was shiny and pretty, and the one below was grungy and dark. Leaning in for a closer look, he saw a big hole in one of the walls that separated the sections, and there was different coloured writing on a lot of the open surfaces.

"What does that say?" he asked, pointing to something written in bright red letters that were hard to make sense of.

"Fuck Shinra!" Sephiroth said with a laugh. "They recreated exactly how it looked shortly before Meteor Fall. Shinra wasn't very popular in the slums."

"Oh! Sephiroth, look! It's Aerith's office!" He leaned in as close as he could get to see the details of the big building. The roof was partially intact, with just a big hole in the middle, and there were more windows that still had glass. But the same flowers were growing inside, though there wasn't the pool of water.

"The church in sector five is one of the few buildings that remains standing in modern times." Sephiroth pointed to a small sign as he read. "According to records left by residents of the sector five slums, it was the only place in the entirety of Midgar where flowers grew."

As Cloud looked, the lighting on the model changed. It grew darker and darker until it was like night, and the various buildings lit up. Each of the upper sections had a big building that glowed green, and in the dark, he could see the green flowing around the city. "Is that mako?"

"Yes."

He felt like he could spend the entire afternoon just looking at the model as it changed between its day and night cycles. There were so many tiny details that made it feel like it was alive. There was a market down in the slums with glowing neon signs and tiny shops displaying tiny wares, and up top was a big fountain and a building that Sephiroth said was advertising a play called Loveless. He would hardly have been surprised if the little people suddenly started moving.

Eventually he pulled himself away, however, and Sephiroth held his hand as they began to walk through the various exhibits. Lots of them had a button he could press to hear a description or re-enactment of something, and when there wasn't, Sephiroth read out loud from the signs he couldn't read.

There was an actual train car that had been used back then to travel between the plate and the slums, and Cloud felt like he had travelled back in time as he sat on one of the old padded benches and held the handrail. Sephiroth had him get his picture taken at a booth, and a few minutes later, presented him with a card that said he was authorized to ride the train between all sectors on the plate and the slums.

It wasn't all fun, however. The section that taught about the experiments that had created alphas and omegas made his stomach turn, and the museum didn't shy away from the violence and cruelty that Shinra had used to enforce its authority. He learned that using mako power had been slowly killing the planet, and although lots of people protested, Shinra had refused to stop.

He didn't linger long in the area that explained about Meteor Fall and the aftermath. All those people dying was too horrible to contemplate. But when they got to the geostigma crisis, he stopped in his tracks, staring again.

A life-sized bronze statue depicting a group of omegas greeted them. One in the centre was tied up and screaming. The tears on his face seemed almost real. The others were gathered around him, crying as well, but also angry and shouting. They held signs, and Sephiroth read them to him.

"People are people. We have the cure, let us use it. Omegas aren't your property. We die if they die."

"They really were brave, weren't they?"

"They were. They changed the world, Cloud."

As they slowly made their way through the exhibit, Cloud couldn't help but wonder what he would have done if he had been alive then. Would he have been brave enough to stand up against the alphas? To sacrifice his life? He had just taken the abuse in Nibelheim, but he had been alone. If he had had friends who had been willing to stand with him, would he have fought back?

They sat down on a bench in front of a large picture that showed an omega hugging a sick little beta girl as blood went into her arm. Could he save someone's life?

An announcement startled him out of his thoughts. The museum was closing in fifteen minutes.

"Oh, I—oh no, there's still more, isn't there?"

"Let's come back another day to see the rest," Sephiroth suggested.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to take so long."

"Not at all. It's a lot to take in in one day. I'm glad you found it interesting."

It certainly was that. And a lot to think about. "I'd like to come back sometime."


	8. Imperfect System

"Hot tub tonight?" Rufus asked from the chaise lounge where he was draped, sipping a glass of wine.

"Mmm, absolutely. I'm a little disappointed that you're not already in it." Tseng hung up his coat before pouring a glass for himself.

"Wasn't sure how late you'd be. I didn't want to end up wrinkly before you came home. How was the auction?"

"It was great. There wasn't one."

"What? They backed out?"

"Not exactly. They didn't want to sell him, but realized that he needed a mate. Although, he doesn't yet. Just started his heat—at seventeen, mind you—but they thought that meant he'd need a mate right away. His parents and the town's mayor came, and they offered to pay _us _for an alpha for him. Apparently the whole town chipped in. He was well treated and wanted there. They were only willing to give him to us as a last resort."

"They …" Rufus stared for a few seconds, then took a big sip of wine. "You didn't take their money, did you?"

Tseng recoiled. "Fuck no! But if attitudes are shifting in some places, we're going to have to think of new ways of ensuring that omegas get the mates they need and stay happy. I set the four of them up in a hotel, and we'll meet tomorrow to discuss how to arrange things. I think it would be good if he had some time here to get to know other people like him, but we'll see how he feels about that." He sank to the floor at Rufus's side and lay his head in his lap, drinking in his scent.

Rufus's fingers trailed through his hair. "Gaia, that makes me so happy. It was Mideel that he was coming from, right? Let's make sure we work out a new trade agreement with them. Scarlet's got those new solar panels her department came up with that would probably benefit them."

"I'll do that. And I'll find some alphas who wouldn't mind a change of scenery so he can move back once he's mated." Tseng kissed along the hem of Rufus's robe before pushing it open slightly.

A shrill alarm rang through the apartment and they both jumped up. Tseng ran for the emergency device on the wall. "Shit, it's Reno. I've—"

"Go!" Rufus shouted at him as he scrambled into his clothes.

He didn't wait a moment longer and ran out the door, scanning his card and activating the emergency mode to immediately divert the nearest elevator to him. He knocked someone aside as he got off on the tenth floor, his legs carrying him as fast as they could towards the apartment with the red triangle.

He needed no explanation as to why Reno had sounded the alarm when he burst in. Screams were coming from Cloud's bedroom.

"Get off! Don't touch me!"

"Get the fuck off of him!" Reno's voice could also be heard, and his alpha instincts roared within him when he saw the omega pulling at the alpha who was trying to pin Cloud down. Luxiere.

Tseng grabbed him by the neck and bodily threw him across the room and into the dresser, snarling as his did so. Cloud was in a state of sheer panic. His shirt was off and his pants were undone and pushed partway down.

"Don't! Don't! Bad!" Cloud scratched at his bare skin before hitting himself in the groin with a scream of pain.

Making a split-second decision, Tseng grabbed both of his hands and pinned them above his head, then clamped his jaw over his throat. Cloud had had this done to him once before, and although Sephiroth had said it worked, he hated to take the drastic measure again. Cloud stopped struggling immediately, but he shook with fear and continued to cry.

"Get the fuck out," Reno snapped, then he was by Cloud's head, stroking him gently. "It's okay, Cloud, you're safe. Tseng is here, keeping you safe. He's not going to bite you, so just breathe. Breathe his scent. You know it. You know you're safe with him. Should I get his stethoscope?"

Tseng gave a slight nod and the omega slipped away, returning with it moments later. He gently placed the ear pieces in and held it to his own chest, since Cloud couldn't move to hold it himself.

"Think my heart's going a mile a minute," Reno said softly. "Is yours any better?"

Tseng gave another nod and did his best to calm down. The metal was cold against his chest, and he breathed deeply.

It seemed to take forever before Cloud had calmed enough that he felt it was safe to let go of his throat. In the back of his mind, he noticed his mate enter the room.

"No one else comes in," he said quietly before beginning to lick Cloud's neck. The omega relaxed further under the gentle touches.

"He's closed his eyes," Reno whispered after a time.

"Good." Tseng kept up his ministrations for a while longer until Cloud was completely limp beneath him. Only then did he carefully gather him into his arms and begin to purr.

He saw Sephiroth hovering a few steps back from the doorway, looking anxious, but obeying his orders to stay out. Rufus pulled a blanket from the closet and tucked it around them.

"I've contacted Doctors Aerith and Gast. They're waiting in the meeting room upstairs. Luxiere is there as well."

"Thank you, love." Tseng kissed his mate's palm before resuming his purring, grateful for his understanding.

"Do you want me to call in Vincent? I'm sure he'd be willing to come for something like this, and you won't want to leave Cloud alone while you deal with what happened."

"Please." Cloud was going to need someone with him until tomorrow, at a minimum, but he needed to find out what happened. Sooner rather than later. The former head Turk was the only person he was remotely willing to leave Cloud with when he was in this state. He hated to have to admit that such a thing had happened on his watch, however. "His pyjamas."

Reno silently slipped off the bed and came back with a comfortable-looking pair of pants and a T-shirt.

"He doesn't like the buttons on his actual pyjamas."

Cloud remained pliant as Tseng got him dressed and cuddled up again. He used the opportunity to check him for injuries. His chest and neck were scratched up, and he had bruises forming on his groin as well as his shoulders. Cloud didn't have the chance to bruise his own shoulders that he was aware of. That had definitely been Luxiere, trying to hold him down. The injuries to his groin were less clear.

"You're growling," Rufus said softly when he returned. He slid into the bed beside him and rubbed his shoulders. The act helped calm his rage a degree or two. Perhaps if he waited long enough, he wouldn't kill Luxiere on sight.

Cloud stirred slightly and appeared to reach out for something.

"What do you need, sweetheart?" he asked gently.

"He likes his chocobo when he's scared," Reno replied. "He might be looking for that."

"Get it." He eased off on his purring when Reno brought the crude toy over and Cloud closed his fingers tightly around it, clutching it to his chest. "There you go, sweetheart. You're safe."

Tseng glanced up to see Sephiroth blushing in the doorway, and recalled that the SOLDIER had made it for him. He almost laughed; SOLDIERs were so easily embarrassed, yet still succumbed to the same instincts as the rest of them.

"Once Vincent gets here, I want every alpha who's been seeing Cloud to come to the meeting room in this building. This _cannot_ happen again."

"I'll get them," Sephiroth growled before disappearing.

Cloud gave a soft whine at the sound of Sephiroth's voice, and Tseng stroked his hair to soothe him. "Shh, sweetheart. Sephiroth will come back later if you want him to, but for now you're safe with me. Just rest. No one's going to hurt you."

Cloud had fallen asleep by the time Vincent arrived, and though it pained him to wake him up, he couldn't just leave him in the care of someone else while he wasn't at least partially aware. Between them, they kept Cloud functioning on pure instinct, and he nuzzled into the former Turk as they slowly made the transfer.

"Thanks for coming."

Vincent just hummed as he got Cloud settled comfortably. "Go sort out your alphas_. All_ of them. This never would have happened if you had kept better control over them."

"Yes, sir." Tseng slipped away as the guilt ate at him. He had fucked up. He had thought he had kept close enough tabs on everyone who was courting Cloud, but that clearly hadn't been the case. The omega's terrified screams still rang in his ears. Would he even be able to mate after this? He hadn't lost an omega yet, but … "Reno, I need you to come too."

He arrived on the fifteenth floor where the meeting room was located and entered to find Sephiroth and Luxiere being physically restrained by four other alphas each.

"Sit down, all of you," he said. "If you can't control yourselves, I'll have you chained down."

Luxiere immediately stopped fighting, but Sephiroth still looked like he was going to go for the man's throat.

"I mean it, Sephiroth," he said with a warning growl. "Cloud is resting for now. Reno, take a seat by me."

Reno sank into the chair nearest to where he was standing, and Tseng rubbed his shoulders. The omega leaned into him instinctively as the rest of the people in the room slowly found chairs.

"What happened?" Aerith asked.

"Reno, can you explain from your point of view?"

Tseng kept his hand on Reno to comfort him as he nodded. "Cloud had a date with Luxiere tonight. He had wanted to stay in because Doctor Gast is still pretty strict with his diet and it's just easier for him that way instead of trying to figure out menus. Some people …" He glanced around the room deliberately. "I think some people forget that he's still learning to read and they get impatient and that makes him feel stupid. Like you all wouldn't have taken way longer if you hadn't learned when you were kids. Anyway, they stayed in. I went out for dinner with my mom to give him some privacy, and when I got back, I heard them in the bedroom. I didn't think too much of it. Cloud's still hella nervous about sex, but he's really been trying lately and doing a bit more touching. He's always stayed out in the living room before, but I figured he was just feeling comfortable with going a little further and didn't want to be out in the open."

Reno looked over at Luxiere and gave him a vicious glare. "I heard him say no. He said, 'no, I don't want to,' and Luxiere told him it would be fine. I was going to knock on the door, but then he started screaming. I hit the panic button, then went in. Luxiere was on top of Cloud. I don't know what the fuck he thought he was doing, but he wouldn't get off even though Cloud was screaming at him to. He yelled at me to stay out of it and knocked me back when I tried to make him move. That's about when you came in, sir.

"I don't … I don't know what else I could have done. I'm supposed to give him space to explore his sexuality and look for a mate, but …"

"You did exactly what you were supposed to do, Reno. Thank you." He shot a glare at Sephiroth and several others who looked like they were having trouble remaining seated, then turned to Luxiere. "Explain yourself."

"I was trying to get him to calm down," Luxiere protested.

"From the beginning."

Luxiere grumbled and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "We had dinner and watched some TV. It was going pretty well. He was cuddly and was fine with kissing and touching on the couch. We'd been making good progress last week, and so I asked if he'd like to move to the bedroom. He _said _yes. He let me take his shirt off, but when I moved on to his pants, he got nervous. But I'd touched him through his underwear before, so I figured he'd be fine and tried to reassure him. Then he suddenly freaked out and, like I said, I was trying to calm him down when Reno barged in and scared him even more."

There was a low rumble from the opposite side of the table, where several other alphas were growling.

"So, let me get this straight," Aerith spoke fairly calmly, but Tseng could hear the anger in her voice. "Cloud has made it abundantly clear that he wants to be the one to initiate during his interactions with alphas. He has told me, he has told Tseng, he has told Sephiroth, and he has told Reno. That's just who _I _am aware that he has directly told. And we have all ensured that that information has been passed on to everyone courting him. And yet _you _suggested moving to the bedroom. _You _removed his shirt and unfastened his pants. When he expressed that he didn't want to, rather than listening, you decided that because he'd let you before, he should again. And then when he was unable to cope with your unwanted advances and panicked, you forced yourself on him further. Did I understand that correctly?"

"He was building up to his heat last week, you fucking moron," Sephiroth hissed through gritted teeth. "Of course he was feeling horny and willing to do more. You had no business taking advantage of it!"

"Says the guy who gets to fuck him!"

"During heat, asshole! That doesn't mean anything!"

"Enough." Tseng had half a mind to just let the others tear Luxiere apart, but he kept himself in check. "No, I don't want to hear any more," he said when both Luxiere and Sephiroth opened their mouths to argue. "By your own admission, Doctor Aerith's summary appears accurate. I allowed you to court Cloud because I wanted him to have the option of someone closer to his own age, and I trusted that you had the self-control and maturity to respect not only Cloud, but your own dignity as an alpha.

"I don't know where I went wrong in my assessment of you, but you completely disregarded a vulnerable omega's wishes and terrorized him into a near-catatonic state. Whether or not he'll recover remains unclear. You went against every rule we have and ignored his assigned roommate's orders for you to leave him. Reno has the appropriate training to deal with him panicking. There was absolutely no reason for you to stay if you truly didn't intend harm. I had to forcibly remove you from an omega who was stating with complete clarity that he wanted you off of him and not touching him. You disgraced us all. Doctor Gast, I'd like you to schedule a castration in the morning. Director Lazard will determine your new position afterwards, but you will be leaving Midgar permanently."

Luxiere began protesting, but Doctor Gast simply nodded, looking grim. Everyone understood that there were no second chances when it came to omegas. There were far too few of them to risk allowing behaviour like that to slide.

"I'll schedule it first thing. I'd like to see Cloud tonight, however."

"Of course. Vincent is with him if you'd like to go now." He turned to Rufus and the Turks who were there as security. "Take Luxiere to the lockup."

"Gladly." Rufus sneered as the Turks hauled the protesting alpha up.

Tseng waited until they were gone to speak again. "I don't know if Cloud will be okay. If he recovers, it's clear that this is not and should never have been treated as a typical courtship, and that allowing the alphas courting him the freedom I have was a mistake. Doctor Aerith, please feel free to jump in if you disagree or have other ideas, but for the time being, I am forbidding all sexual interaction with Cloud when he's not in heat."

"All?" Genesis asked.

"All. Nothing more than a hug, _if_ he initiates it."

"But he's got to learn—"

"No," Sephiroth said quietly. "He doesn't have to learn anything. If he's able to go through with mating, his mate will simply have to adjust. An emotional connection is more important. He needs love, not sex."

"Being mated might help Cloud overcome his fear of sexual activity," Aerith said. "Omegas will always feel safest with a mate, after all. But yes, it's possible that he might not want to have sex outside of heat. In which case, his mate will have to adjust."

Zack frowned. "But then, how are we supposed to court him? He always wants Sephiroth for his heats, so should we just give up?"

"Gaia, you guys really do only think with your dicks," Reno snapped. "You can't think of any other way you could get close to him? I can think of a dozen things off the top of my head that I could do to get him to notice and like me without flapping my cock at him."

Tseng tried in vain to keep a straight face, and it took him a moment to recover his professionalism. The alphas at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Cloud choosing to have Sephiroth with him doesn't necessarily mean he wants to mate with him. Rufus didn't let me stay with him until the heat before we mated. He had a partner from before we met that he trusted to get him through it, and that was what he was comfortable with."

Reno nodded. "Cloud knows what it's like with Sephiroth. If I'd been through even a fraction of what Cloud's gone through, I wouldn't be choosing the unknown for that until I was absolutely certain I wanted someone else."

Genesis pushed back his chair. "Sorry, I'm out. He's a sweet kid, but I'm not risking blue balls for the majority of my life."

"That's fine," Tseng said. "You all have the choice to back out. I don't want him with someone who will resent him."

Several others left with Genesis, but Tseng was unsurprised that Sephiroth didn't so much as twitch. Zack remained as well, and he shrugged. "I'm sure I can think of a few things to grab his attention too. And besides, I like his spunk. He's got attitude. And he deserves someone who wants him for more than sex."

"All right. No contact with Cloud until I say otherwise. All dates are to be approved by me first, and no one is permitted to be alone with him." Bone-deep tiredness suddenly filled him. He wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep with his mate at his side. That wasn't going to happen, but it was a nice dream. "Everyone is dismissed. Doctor Aerith, will you be available tomorrow?"

"Of course. Call when you think he's nearing ready to have me there."

Reno waited for him, and Sephiroth also remained seated until everyone else had left.

"You okay, Sephiroth?" he asked.

"No. Can I see him?"

Tseng hesitated a moment, then nodded with a sigh. "Briefly, as long as he remains calm. I'm sorry I had to make such a strict decision, but …"

Sephiroth shook his head as he pushed himself up. "I understand and agree with it. We didn't do much sexual stuff anyway, so it doesn't matter to me. I just want him to feel safe and happy with me."

"You didn't?" That surprised him. He had figured that Sephiroth was the one Cloud was the most comfortable with.

"No." The three of them headed for the elevators. "Cloud said that he wanted to be in charge, and so we only ever do what he initiates. Mostly we just kiss and cuddle, if that much. He likes going out and having new experiences, so that's what I try to arrange when we see each other, and he's not comfortable with public displays of affection. He wanted to do a bit more in the days leading up to his latest heat, but ..."

"But that was pre-heat horniness and you remembered that it's a thing. Fuck." Tseng banged on the down button. "I suppose that means that he hasn't been the one initiating with the others if he's been doing more with them. I should have kept better tabs on the situation. I'm sorry. Both of you. This shouldn't have happened."

"Do you think it would be all right if I asked Rude to come over for a while?" Reno asked. "Still kinda freaked out."

"Of course." Tseng gave Reno a tight hug. "You did really well, both in calling for help and working with me to calm him down. You'll make a good Turk."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. This has been a difficult assignment, but you've proven that you have what it takes."

Sephiroth nodded. "You've been going above and beyond supporting Cloud, not just because it's your job, but treating him as a friend. He's told me a number of times how much he appreciates you."

"He _is _my friend."

"He knows."

The apartment was quiet when they got back. Gast was gone, which meant that Cloud probably didn't have any serious physical injuries. It was a small relief, but a relief nonetheless. Tseng tapped softly on the door to Cloud's room before opening it. The omega appeared to be sound asleep in Vincent's arms.

"Well?" Vincent was clearly still angry, not that Tseng could blame him.

He explained his decision about Luxiere and his plan for going forward, which seemed to meet with Vincent's approval. "Sephiroth would like to check in on him, if that's okay."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Sephiroth's courting him?"

"Yes. He's also the one who sees him through his heats. Cloud trusts him."

Vincent looked down at the omega in his arms and gave a small nod. "I suppose, just briefly."

Tseng turned and beckoned to Sephiroth, who was waiting well back. Reno was waiting with him as well, and followed behind when Sephiroth approached.

"It's fine, Reno, you can come in too. Is Rude coming?"

"Yeah, he said he can stay the night if that's all right with you."

He nodded. "I don't think Rude being here will bother him as long as he keeps his distance, which I know he will."

Sephiroth slipped past him and crouched by the bed. He ignored his father and gently stroked Cloud's cheek with one finger. Cloud stirred slightly and opened his eyes, prompting Vincent to begin purring again.

"Hey, Cloud. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I just needed to make sure you were okay." Sephiroth began to push himself up, but paused when Cloud reached for him. He ran his fingers through Sephiroth's hair and grabbed at his hand before slumping back into Vincent and closing his eyes again.

"Well," Vincent said, "that's at least a good response."

XXX

A/N: I'm sorry to Luxiere. I just needed a name and I'm terrible at those. I don't hate him. I mean, he is kind of annoying and creepy, but …


	9. Just Listen

There was definitely the start of a path. Sephiroth had managed to get some sleep, but had been up and pacing since early in the morning. The feeling of helplessness gnawed at his gut. Knowing that Cloud was hurt and frightened and being unable to do anything about it was killing him. He was considering forcing himself to choke something down for lunch for sheer practical reasons when there was a knock on his door. Reno gave him a tired smile when he answered it.

"Cloud's asking for you."

"Is he okay?"

Reno gave a half-hearted shrug. "Vincent and Tseng stayed with him all night. They let him out of it a couple hours ago. Aerith came to talk to him, but he didn't want to, and he won't eat anything, either. He just keeps asking for you."

Reno couldn't keep up with him as he ran down the hall.

"Why didn't you call for me sooner?" he snapped as he entered the apartment. Vincent and Aerith were at the dining table.

"Because I judged it was best for him to not have immediate contact with someone else who's attempting to mate him. Are you arguing with my decision?"

Sephiroth glared at his father. "You don't even know him or what he's been through. Did Tseng agree with you?"

"Tseng is aware that I have more experience than him."

"So that's a no."

"Sephiroth," Aerith said gently, "go see him, but try to calm yourself first. Cloud needs you. You need to be strong for him. This is no time for arguing."

Sephiroth just shook his head and took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders and neck before heading to Cloud's room. He opened the door quietly and stepped in.

"Here he is, sweetheart." Tseng had been sitting at the end of the bed, a good distance from Cloud, who was wrapped up in a blanket and hugging himself like he had the day they first met. "Use your best discretion," he said as he passed. "But ultimately, do whatever you think will help him."

Cloud reached out for him as he approached, his face streaked with tears.

"Hey, Cloud. Can I sit with you?"

Cloud didn't respond verbally, but as soon as he was close enough, he grabbed at him and pulled him down. Sephiroth allowed himself to be hauled onto the bed, and attempted to get them arranged comfortably.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here now. I'm so sorry for what happened." He held Cloud tightly and rocked him as he sobbed.

"Why did you go away?" Cloud eventually asked.

"Last night?"

Cloud nodded. "I thought—thought it was you. I remember seeing you, but then it was someone else. Why did you go away?"

"Oh, Cloud, I'm so, so sorry. We always—when something like that happens—a mated alpha is usually the person who can make the omega feel safe."

"_You _make me feel safe."

Sephiroth hugged Cloud closer. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry we didn't listen to what you were trying to say. I'm here now. I won't leave you again."

"I was scared," Cloud said with a sniffle. "Who was that?"

"My father," he admitted. "Former head of the Turks."

"Your father? Is that why he smelled like you? Then …" Cloud frowned as he thought. "Your … other father? Is that right? An omega?"

"Yes, that's a perfectly fine way to say it. Usually we specify alpha-father and omega-father when we need to differentiate, but in my case specifically, Lucretia was my mother."

"Not an omega?"

"She was an omega. Can I explain?" The topic of his parents wasn't his favourite, but he thought it might be good for Cloud to have a distraction to distance himself from what had happened before talking about it. And if he were being truthful with himself, he wanted Cloud to know about his past as well. His hopefully future mate deserved to know him better.

Cloud's curiosity seemed to get the better of him and he nodded.

"My mother was raised by her beta parents. They ran away from their village when they found out she was an omega in order to protect her. They loved her and treated her very well, but there was a lot that they didn't understand. In particular, they thought like you did, that any alpha she met would rape her and force her to mate. To protect her from that, and from persecution by betas, they raised her as female and kept her hidden away from everyone. They didn't realize that she had to mate or she'd die."

"Did she know?"

"No. She probably felt that she needed something, but had no idea what it was or how to describe it to her parents. She had only been told that men would always try to hurt her, and so she needed to run away if she saw one. She didn't know about alphas."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows together and chewed on his lip.

"What're you thinking?"

"Just that I kind of understand how she might have felt. I mean, I knew about alphas and mating, but not that they wouldn't hurt me. Although … Did your father find her?"

Although apparently there were still some alphas who felt entitled to omegas' bodies. He pushed aside the surge of anger he felt and answered, "Yes. Vincent had been on his way to Wutai with some other alphas. A lot of omegas moved to Wutai after the geostigma crisis because they were treated as full citizens there and the laws protected them from abuse. Midgar changed its laws, of course, but many still wanted to stay. As a result, the king of Wutai made an agreement with Midgar to allow for alphas to immigrate there to find mates and keep the population healthy.

"On his way there, the ship he was on sank in a storm. He survived, but everything he had was lost. He ended up back on the western continent, where you're from, and he travelled on foot across it, hoping to meet up with another Turk or SOLDIER who could help. It was during that time that he found Lucretia. She had been beyond needing a mate for several heats, and had just started what would have been her final one. Vincent was looking for shelter for the night when he noticed her scent, and he tracked her to the cave where she stayed hidden.

"Only her mother was with her—her father had finally gone for help—Vincent overpowered her easily and got to Lucretia. Her instincts kicked in to save her, and she allowed Vincent to mate with her."

Cloud trembled slightly, and Sephiroth gave a short purr to steady him. "Did he kill her mom?"

"No, just knocked her out. It didn't do much to improve her parents' opinion of alphas, however. Especially since—have you been told about birth control?"

"No, I don't think so."

"I suppose that since it's not much of an issue for you, nobody's explained yet. You've had enough relevant stuff on your plate. Alphas take birth control to prevent them from impregnating omegas, or anyone else for that matter. It's a simple shot we give ourselves once a month that not only neutralizes our sperm, but also reduces our aggression towards other alphas and helps us maintain control during heats. It's why I was able to say that I would stay with you, but not have sex if you didn't want me to when we were at the cabin. We start taking it as soon as we hit puberty, and we stay on it until we mate and decide whether or not we want children. If a couple wants children, the alpha goes off it temporarily. Being mated reduces aggression anyway, so that's not a problem. If they don't want children, or once they've had as many as they want, he goes to the doctor to be sterilized."

"Like I was?"

"Yes, but the procedure for alphas is much less invasive. Omegas are only ever sterilized if they have a health problem that requires it or if they really want to for some reason."

"Oh."

Sephiroth carded his fingers through Cloud's hair and kissed his forehead. "So getting back to the story. Because Vincent had lost everything when his ship sank, and he had been travelling for so long, his birth control had long since worn off and he didn't have any more. He saved Lucrecia's life, but got her pregnant as well."

"With you?"

"Yes. Omega pregnancies are difficult at the best of times, but Lucretia had been dying and it was particularly hard on her. Vincent was able to get her to Midgar and she survived, but the combination of the late mating and immediate pregnancy took a terrible toll on her health. I … I often felt, growing up, that Vincent resented me, and after Lucretia passed away and he left Shinra, well … we haven't seen each other much since. Losing your mate is incredibly hard, and he didn't take it well."

"Did they love each other?"

"It was difficult at first, after being forced together the way they were, and especially since Lucretia had her entire life turned on its head with no prior knowledge of what she was getting into. But yes, they worked hard to compromise and adjust, and by the time she died, they were very much in love and had been for a long time."

"I'm still confused though, why is she your _mother_?"

"Even after she mated and came to Midgar and realized that omegas consider themselves male, Lucretia felt more comfortable being female. That was what felt right to her, so she continued to live as a woman. It happens occasionally, even with alphas and betas. Sometimes people don't quite match what society expects or what their genitals say, but that's okay. We need to respect that. After all, it wouldn't feel very nice if I had told you that we consider omegas female and that you are therefore female, would it?"

Cloud shook his head violently. "When you first told me about how omegas were made, I was kinda worried for a second. I'm not a woman."

"And she wasn't a man."

"I think I understand. That's ... I'm glad that she was able to live as who she was. And ..." Cloud squirmed a little bit closer to him. "I'm sorry about your father. I ..."

"Don't worry about it," Sephiroth said with a sigh. "He doesn't hate me and I don't hate him. He might even come back to Midgar on occasion if I mate."

"Do you ... want to mate?"

Sephiroth looked down at the omega pressed tightly to his side. "Yes."

Cloud remained silent for a minute or so. "With me?"

"Yes."

"But I … I can't have kids. Didn't that make you mad?"

"That made me very mad. That choice should never have been taken away from you. They had absolutely no right to violate you like that. But I don't mind the fact that you can't have children. If we mated and wanted to, we could adopt. Mated pairs always have priority for adopting omegas."

"Oh …" He sat quietly for a few minutes before letting out a gusty sigh and saying in a small voice, "I don't want to do this anymore."

"You don't want to do what, specifically?" Sephiroth closed his eyes and rested against the headboard. He would have to leave Midgar if Cloud refused to mate. As much as it would pain him to abandon Cloud, he knew he wouldn't be able to stand by while the inevitable happened.

"I hate this dating, courting, whatever you call it. It's all I ever think about and I just hate it. I feel like everyone's constantly wondering what's wrong with me and thinking I must be broken because I get scared and don't want to let them touch me."

Sephiroth opened his eyes and gently stroked Cloud's hair. "I don't know what the other people you've been seeing are thinking, but I don't think you're broken. I think that you've been hurt terribly and that you need time you don't have, and that makes me feel awful. Have I ever made you feel like I'm pressuring you?"

Cloud reached over to the nightstand and picked up that ridiculous chocobo, turning it over and over in his fingers. "Not to touch or have sex, but ..."

"But what? You can tell me anything, and I promise I'll do my best to fix it."

"But like I have to try out all these other people and I can't just ..." He trailed off again and continued to fiddle with the chocobo.

"Are you saying that you want to stop dating people because you want to make your decision and I'm making you feel like it's too soon?" Feeling like it was probably difficult for Cloud to say it, he decided to just be blunt. "Do you want to mate with me, Cloud?"

Cloud dropped the chocobo and grabbed his shirt instead. "I do, I want you, but I—not yet. I'm sorry. I want to just go to my classes, and have time to practice stuff at home. I want to do fun things. I want to be like Reno and just—"

"Have a bit of a life before tying yourself down?" Sephiroth smiled as his heart swelled. "You can do that. I want to mate with you very, very much, but it doesn't have to be right away. You've still got a few heats left before you need to mate. If you're certain that I'm who you want, then take that time and live your life."

"You'd let me do that?"

"Let you? Cloud, I'd be your _mate. _Your partner, not your owner or your boss. And I think that that would be the best possible thing you could do for yourself. Mating isn't a prison sentence, but it is a big change and you've never had a chance to just live for yourself. So do that. Find out who _you _are and what _you _love. I'll wait very patiently."

Cloud slowly lifted his head and sat up a bit. Despite his red and swollen eyes, a smile was blooming. "Will you still take me out to new places?"

"Absolutely. Let's just set aside sex for now. I'll still get you through your heats if you want me to, but otherwise, let's focus on being friends. As your friend, I'd be so happy if I could keep showing you everything you want to see. And _if_, when you're ready, whether it's before or after mating, _if _you want to be more sexually active outside of your heat, I promise I will make you see stars."

Cloud flung himself forward and squeezed him tightly while Sephiroth rubbed his back.

"Okay, we have some negotiating to do and decisions to start thinking about, but first, I've heard a rumour that you refused to eat this morning, and it's already nearly one o'clock. Do you want to eat in here?"

Cloud sat back up and gave a shy nod. "Sorry, I was just …"

"Really fucking upset and no one was listening to you?"

"Yeah."

Sephiroth grinned. "And now I get to be the one doing the scolding. I'm quite excited. What would you like to eat?"

"I made a weird salad yesterday in cooking class. There were lots of leftovers."

"Mmm, weird salad sounds good. Is there enough for me to try some?"

Cloud laughed and nodded.

"Be right back, then."

Sephiroth hugged Cloud once more before rolling off the bed. He couldn't stop smiling as he went back to the main room where Tseng and Reno had joined Vincent and Aerith at the table. The four were deep in conversation.

"You guys can go now," he said as he headed for the fridge. "Aside, from Reno, of course. Not trying to kick you out of your own home. But, Tseng, tell the alphas to back off of Cloud. I'll scent mark him if he'll let me, but we haven't talked about it yet. Regardless, they're to leave him alone from now on."

"You're mating him?" Tseng and Vincent asked at the same time.

"Not yet, but I will. He wants to have some time to himself first. Reno, where's the salad Cloud made yesterday?"

Reno jumped up and pulled out a big glass bowl filled with some sort of grain, beans, and chunks of vegetables. "It's actually pretty good," he said. "Filling, too."

"Do we eat it with spoons?"

"Spoons were easiest."

"Spoons it is, then."

"Sephiroth, are you certain? Making a big decision like this when he's upset and vulnerable isn't—"

He glanced over his shoulder at Aerith. "He's not upset and vulnerable. He definitely needs to talk with you about what happened with Luxiere, and so I'll encourage him to make an appointment with you tomorrow to do so. I think it would also be good if he could to speak with you about mating so we're all on the same page. But he had a good cry once the person he actually wanted was there, and then he calmed down and we were able to talk about the things that have been bothering him. Like the fact that everyone thinks he can't make a decision unless he's let half the alphas here fuck him."

"That's not—" Tseng started.

"That's not what we say in so many words, but he's not stupid. He knows what alphas want, and Luxiere gave him a very memorable lesson in case he hadn't figured it out. He's been pushing himself so hard to act like we expect him to when he just wants to have a chance to live his own life before mating with the person he wants."

"But—"

Sephiroth slammed the bowl down on the counter with a growl. "We've given him options. He considered them. He made his decision. I am willing to acquiesce to his needs regarding sex, or lack thereof. End of discussion. I will kill any alphas who continue to bother him."

Reno grinned and held out two spoons. "Congratulations. Does not mating right away mean I get to keep my roomie for a while longer?"

"I think Cloud would like that very much, if you'll have him."

"Hell, yeah. Does it also mean he can finally have some time to make friends with other omegas and not be stressed the fuck out all the time?"

"Absolutely. We're giving him a stress-free few months of complete freedom."

XXX

A/N: I'm trying to be not too paranoid about wacky new viruses, while also still being reasonably cautious. But I swear, if I wash my hands one more time, they're going to fall off.

I watched a video comparing the AC voice actors to the remake's, and I like them all except for Sephiroth. George Newburn did such a great job on him, and his new actor falls well short, in my opinion. Then again, Sephiroth's best voice is actually the actor from French dub of AC. I will accept no arguments. If the remake has him again, I'd totally play in French.


	10. It's Not Bad

"Eighteen hours." Reno slammed a thousand gil down on the table, rattling the glasses. "He's going to go into labour in the evening, then skip his morning meetings because Tseng will insist, but be back to work by lunch the next day."

"Oh, come on! He'll at least take a full day off, and he can't plan when he's going to go into labour," Rod protested.

"The hell he can't! This is a man who goes into heat twice a year, on a scheduled day off, and it only lasts twelve hours. He's in charge of his body, not nature.""

Cloud laughed as Rod argued back. "I think we all know that that's because Tseng's pretty much a god in bed. He can't control his own body like that." Rufus's pregnancy had been the hot topic in Shinra ever since it was announced. No one had known that they had been trying, and everyone was excited for them. Tseng seemed overwhelmingly happy about it, and his office seemed to be acquiring more and more baby things each time Cloud went to visit with him.

Seeing Tseng's happiness, and knowing how important children were for their small population, he couldn't help but wonder if Sephiroth was really okay with not having them, and he felt a twinge of guilt. He had been to see Doctor Gast a few days ago, and the doctor had brought up his sterilization. He hadn't completely understood everything Gast had said; anatomy was complicated and there were a lot of weird words. But the gist of it was that if he really wanted to, they could try to reverse the procedure. It had a very low chance of success, however, because his initial sterilization had been badly done and his tubes were damaged. It would mean cutting him open in a few places to try and fix the damage. If it _did _work and he got pregnant, they would probably have to cut him open to get the baby out because of the scarring from the switch.

The thought of it made his blood run cold. He remembered all too well how much it had hurt when he woke up after being taken to the doctor. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad with Sephiroth there to support him, but all he could imagine when he tried to consider it was the pain and fear he had felt as he had lain on his bed, wondering what they had done to him and if he was going to die.

"So, Cloud, what's the plan for after you mate?"

Drawn out of his thoughts, Cloud felt his cheeks warm as the little group of omegas turned towards him, though he wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or the alcohol making him flush. "Like, what I'm going to do?"

"Yeah." Rod topped off his glass for him.

"Yeah, have you decided anything?" Reno asked. "You guys spent ages talking that first day. Will you go on missions with him?"

Cloud gave his head a shake and immediately regretted it when the room span. Another sip of his drink steadied him. "Not right away, at least. He wants to take me somewhere after we mate to … he called it … honeymoon? For just the two of us. It's some sort of old tradition that betas have?"

The group began to laugh and whistle, wondering where they would go and what they'd be getting up to.

"You guys have to help me decide where to go. It's my choice, but I don't know anything! He gave me a bunch of brochures and magazines yesterday."

"Yeah, we can help you," Wedge said. "And then what? Back to Midgar?"

"Yep. I want to keep taking classes and improving my skills so I can figure out what I want to do, and he said it's a good idea."

Reno laughed. "He probably just wants you to learn more cookie recipes."

Cloud shook his head and took another drink. "Probably, but those ones I made the other day were really good, so I don't mind. While I'm doing that, he's going to teach me some stuff for surviving in the wild, and then …"

"And then?"

"And then we'll see. He says I don't need a job, that he can take care of me, but if I find something that I'm passionate about and need to stay in Midgar for it, he'll transfer to a desk position. It doesn't matter if what I want to do pays. If I don't mind travelling, he'll keep working in the field. He …" Cloud smiled, thinking of the alpha who seemed to care so much about his happiness. "He said that I can change my mind however many times I want. He's good enough that Shinra won't ever risk losing him."

"What a cocky fucking asshole!" Rod raised his glass in a toast. "To cocky assholes! At least they have good cocks!"

Cloud laughed with the others and raised his glass. Jesse caught his eye and gave him a shy smile. The omega was a couple years younger than most of them, and by far the most sober person in the room. "How're you settling in, Jesse?" he asked.

"Not bad, but I miss my family. I like you guys, and it's been great getting to know other omegas, but I kinda want to go back to Mideel until I need to mate. I don't think I'm cut out for city life."

Cloud couldn't help but be a little bit jealous of Jesse. He had a whole family. A mom, and a dad, and two little sisters, and they loved him. He often lay awake at night, thinking about what that would have been like. He couldn't remember his mother at all, and he sometimes wondered if she had wanted to keep him. He didn't know who his father was. For all he knew, he could have remained in Nibelheim, happy to watch his unwanted child suffer.

"Have you talked to Tseng about it?" Wedge asked. "I know Mideel's far, but he can at least arrange for you to go visit sometimes. Or maybe they could come here."

He shook his head. "I don't want to be even more of a hassle. They already put in that phone connection so I can call whenever I want. And mom says that Shinra's doing a lot to help improve things there."

"Yeah, well." Rod downed his drink and poured another. "They're grateful. And maybe we shouldn't have to be grateful that they had the decency to treat you like you're a person, but that's the way this world is. So cheers to Mideel. May the rest of the planet catch on."

After the toast, Reno turned back to him with a frown. "Sephiroth's been scent marking you, right? To make sure the other alphas leave you alone?"

Cloud blushed and bobbed his head.

"You okay with that? It's pretty intimate, isn't it?"

"Umm …" He glanced around at the others who were listening intently with concern in their expressions. "He, umm … he masturbates. In the other room. Then … then rubs it on my scent glands."

They all burst out laughing and Reno stood on wobbly legs. "I hereby declare that any alpha who wants to mate with us has to prove his love by jerking off into a cup to mark his territory. For … at least a month. Otherwise it's not love."

More glasses were raised and cheers of agreement filled the room. Cloud couldn't help but wonder what he had started. He was pretty sure he'd feel badly if any of them remembered this in the morning and carried through with it. But he was so appreciative of what Sephiroth was doing. He knew that at this point he should have been having sex with his chosen alpha regularly, and that he would scent mark him as a natural part of that so other alphas would know to stay away even though they weren't mated yet. But while Sephiroth held his hand and cuddled with him whenever Cloud wanted, he never pushed for more, even though Cloud could tell he wanted it. It was embarrassing and a bit gross to get rapidly cooling jizz rubbed on his neck every few days, but Sephiroth was willing to keep him safe from the others without actually making him do anything sexual.

It meant everything to him, and he'd never felt so free as he had in the past month.

XXX

Cloud closed the travel magazine he had been looking at and sighed. There were so many places in the world. How was he supposed to decide where he wanted to go? He got up and put it back on his little bookshelf that was slowly filling up, showing his progress. He had gone from books with simple words in large print and lots of pictures to help explain, to ones with fewer pictures and longer words. Now he was reading more complex stories that only had a small illustration at the beginning of each chapter. He was still slow at it, but he enjoyed it so much when Sephiroth would come over and take turns reading out loud with him.

He particularly liked the cookbook his teacher had given to him a little while back. He kept the big laminated papers that had pictures and diagrams instead of words to explain the recipes from when he had first started the cooking class, but the cookbook had so many recipes to choose from. He felt like he could make anything in the world with it, and he loved the feeling of independence that came with that.

He looked back at the travel magazines, but his gaze fell on the other magazine Sephiroth had given him shortly after they had arrived in Midgar. He had been so embarrassed to even have the thing, but he was absolutely unwilling to not keep a gift from Sephiroth. So he had put it on the shelf, but never actually looked at it. He traced his finger over the spine. It wasn't wrong to have, obviously. Sephiroth wouldn't have given him something he shouldn't have. And Reno had a bunch in his room. He'd seen them lying around.

He pulled it down and set it on the floor in front of him. The cover had a picture of a barely clothed omega lying on a bed with his legs slightly spread. He took a deep breath and opened it. A naked alpha stared up at him. Cloud felt a tingle between his legs as he took in the man's form. He had nice muscles and a smooth chest. He held his erect penis in his hand and appeared to be stroking it. Unable to help himself, Cloud reached out and grazed his fingers over the picture.

The next few pages had the same omega from the cover, but he wasn't wearing clothes anymore. Pictures of him in various poses, showing off his body, made Cloud tremble a bit as he took them in. His penis pressed against his pants and he could feel wetness when he shifted. He had helped with Reno's heat a number of times now, but it never turned him on. It was just helping a friend who needed him. But this … Cloud touched the omega's genitals curiously. It wasn't freakish, and it wasn't uninteresting. It looked good.

When he turned to a page that showed the omega inserting a dildo into himself, Cloud moaned. It looked like it felt good. His own entrance throbbed and he squeezed his legs together. It wasn't bad. It couldn't be. Someone had taken the pictures, so obviously they had known what the omega was doing. But he didn't look ashamed. It looked like he was having fun.

He turned the magazine over and looked at the back cover. It had a price tag, just like the other books and magazines he had. They wouldn't sell it in a normal store if the omega in it was doing something wrong. Would they?

Cloud glanced over at the clock, then pushed himself to his feet. Reno wasn't home. He wouldn't be for a while. He closed his bedroom door and locked it.

"It's not bad," he whispered to himself as he stood in front of the big mirror. "It's not bad."

Sephiroth did it. Reno did it. These weren't bad feelings. It was good to be curious about his body. Sephiroth had said so, and Sephiroth didn't lie to him.

He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor, then pulled his pants and underwear off. Trembling, he looked at himself in the mirror. He wasn't ugly or disgusting. He had gained a lot of weight, and he liked the way his bones didn't jut out anymore. He liked the muscles he had begun developing from exercising with Sephiroth. He liked the way the barber cut and styled his hair. Sephiroth said his eyes were beautiful, and he had to agree.

He looked down at his penis, which was still quite erect. He ran his fingers lightly over it and it bounced a little, stiffening up some more. A memory of desperately trying to get off while taking a shower and hoping no one would catch him flashed through his mind, but Cloud shook his head. "That's not your life anymore," he said firmly. "This isn't bad."

It wasn't like during a heat, when his balls would pull up and out of the way, so Cloud cupped them gently in his palm and lifted them, exposing his vagina. He shifted his feet slightly further apart so he could get a better look at his reflection. He wasn't a disgusting freak. He looked like the omega in the magazine, and he had looked good. He carefully touched himself, spreading the fluid he was producing around. He was warm and soft, and the touches felt nice. It wasn't bad to feel nice.

It was a little bit awkward to remain standing, and Cloud glanced back at the bed. He wanted to see himself, though, and so he dragged a blanket out of the closet and spread it out in front of the mirror. He was about to sit down when he thought back to the picture of the omega with the dildo. The dildos Reno had gotten for him had remained untouched. Sephiroth had continued to see him through his heats without complaint, so he hadn't needed them.

The three boxes and the bottle of lubricant were lined up in the drawer. He took them out one at a time and ran his fingers over them. The silicone felt almost silky. He pressed the button on one and watched the base slowly swell up. Was that what Sephiroth's penis looked like when he knotted? It was so big. Cloud wondered if it was okay to use the knot when he wasn't in heat. He knew that alphas would only knot during a heat, but wasn't sure if that meant that being knotted outside of heat was bad for them. He supposed he would have to ask. Reno would know and tell him.

The vibrating dildo jiggled around in his hand when he turned it on, and he spent a while playing with the settings, just to test what it could do. The third was the one that didn't knot, but it had an interesting ribbed texture. He made a fist around it and stroked a bit. It felt strange, but he thought it would probably feel very good inside.

He gathered up all three, as well as the lubricant, and set them on the blanket. Was he really going to do this? "It's not bad," he said again, almost scolding himself.

He grabbed the magazine and sat down, opening it up to a random page. His breath caught as he took in the image that now included the alpha. He was lying next to the omega and had two fingers deep inside him. The facing page had multiple pictures depicting the act in varying degrees of closeness. Cloud stared at them as his hand drifted to his groin and wrapped around his penis. He stroked himself slowly while he turned the pages. What would it feel like to have Sephiroth lick between his legs? Both the alpha and omega looked like they were enjoying it a lot. What did it taste like?

Cloud shifted a bit so he could lean against the foot of the bed, then he bent his legs and spread them apart, taking in the full view of himself in the mirror. The urge to touch filled him and made him tremble with want. It felt completely different than when he was in heat. He was in control of himself, and it somehow felt far more real that way. He lifted his balls again and used his fingers to spread himself open. He could see the scars the switch had left him with and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply.

That was in the past. The mayor was the one who was bad. The scars would remain, but he'd never feel pain like that again. He wasn't bad.

When he opened his eyes, he forced himself to look at them for several minutes. After a time, they stopped standing out quite so much. It was just some slightly differently coloured skin. There wasn't much difference that he could feel when he rubbed his finger over them. It still felt good.

He glanced down at the magazine and imagined that his finger was Sephiroth's tongue flicking over him before pressing in a little bit. It would feel good, he knew it. He brought his finger to his mouth and licked it. It was a nice taste. He pumped some lubricant into his palm and rubbed it over his erection, moaning as he pressed his finger further inside at the same time. He was so hot inside, and his muscles squeezed around his finger as he wiggled it around.

The pages of the magazine got a bit sticky when he turned back to the pictures of the omega using the dildo. Cloud slicked up the ribbed one and got onto his hands and knees to pose like the omega. He looked over his shoulder and watched in the mirror as he pushed it in from behind. It was hard to keep his balance with one arm, and he dropped down so he could lean on his elbow while he thrust the dildo in and out.

He could feel the ribbing clearly and the pleasure of it made him moan loudly. Clenching his muscles in a rhythm to match the thrusting made it feel even better, and he felt an orgasm building. He'd never had a vaginal orgasm outside of heat and he almost wanted to stop, but he forced himself to ignore the lingering fear and continue thrusting.

What if it was Sephiroth behind him? The alpha would hold his hips gently and help keep him steady. His long hair would fall onto his back, so smooth and silky. Maybe he would reach around and stroke his penis at the same time, or lean down and let him feel his chest rumbling. Could Sephiroth purr while he was having sex? He wanted to find out, but knew he'd always be too distracted during his heat to notice or remember. Cloud imagined Sephiroth's strong arms wrapped around him, holding him so tightly as he pushed all the way in, again and again. He'd whisper in his ear that he loved him. That he was beautiful. That he felt so good. He couldn't pay attention to any of that when he was in heat, but he wanted to hear it.

Cloud used the blanket to muffle his gasping as the sensations peaked and he struggled to keep up his thrusting. He let himself fall forwards onto his chest and reached down with his other hand, gripping his penis tightly and stroking rapidly. Within seconds he was coming again, this time splattering fluid all over the blanket.

He left the dildo deep inside himself as he rolled onto his side, gasping for breath and taking in the lingering sensations of pleasure. As his body calmed down, the realization of what he had done began to take hold. He had masturbated, completely unnecessarily. He had used his dildo when he wasn't in heat. He had made a mess. The blanket would have to be washed. Reno would notice him using the washing machine for a blanket when he hadn't just been in heat. He would know what he had done. The dildo slipped out of him and rested all warm and sticky against his thigh.

"It's not bad." The words sounded almost like a plea. Reno did it too. He was always washing sheets and towels. It was normal.

He looked over at the magazine. Sephiroth had gotten it for him on purpose. It wasn't bad to look at it. He forced himself to recall all the conversations he had had with so many people. Sexual feelings were normal. Masturbation was normal. Hurting him because he had touched himself was wrong. He went over them again and again until the mess he had made was dried up and crusty and he was feeling a bit cold, lying naked on the floor.

"You're not bad," he said again before finally pushing himself up. He went to the bathroom and cleaned himself off, then pulled on some pyjamas before tackling the mess. He recalled the soap that was for using on the dildo and washed it in the bathroom sink using that. He set it to dry on a clean hand towel. He wiped off the magazine as best he could, then put it back on the shelf. The unused dildos went back in their boxes. He wanted to try the vibrating one next time, he decided. It was a bit late to be doing laundry, but he wanted to get it done. Not to hide the evidence, he thought firmly, but so it wouldn't stain.

Reno was on the couch watching TV when he unlocked the door and stepped out with the blanket in his arms.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"Hey, just got back like fifteen minutes ago. I thought you might be sleeping, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh, thanks. I … do you mind if I do a load of laundry?"

Reno glanced over at him. "No problem. Chocobo racing is starting in like five minutes. Wanna watch with me? Joe's racing with Teioh tonight."

"Yeah, all right. I'll just—" He hefted the blanket up and jerked his head towards the closet with the washer and dryer.

"For sure. I'll fix some chips and dip. Want a beer?"

"Yeah, thanks." Reno knew. He had to know. He'd have been able to smell it on the blanket. "It's not bad," he said under his breath as he dumped the blanket in the washer.

"Can I ask something?"

Reno had wrapped himself in one of the throw blankets they kept lying around now that the weather was getting colder and had his bowl of dip balanced in his lap. Cloud was similarly wrapped up with the bowl of chips between them. "Sure. What's up?"

"I was just wondering, with the dildos that knot, is it okay to use the knot when you're not in heat?"

"Yeah, it's no problem." Reno shoved a big chip in his mouth and talked around it. "I don't think it feels good, but lots of people like it. Doesn't hurt to try. Well, it might, but you can just stop if it does."

"Okay, thanks. I just wondered."

"Yeah, no worries. I wonder if my vag is weirdly small or something. Maybe that's why I don't get off on being knotted and prefer smaller dildos." He laughed as he grabbed another scoop of the dip. "Might have to pick my mate based on dick size."

Cloud smiled and shook his head. "Rude doesn't seem like his dick's terribly small."

"Shit, it's fucking huge! I know alphas are bigger than us, and that means their dicks are proportionally bigger too, but I almost fainted the first time I saw it!"

"But he fucks you with it, right? It doesn't hurt?"

"No, not even a little. He's always gentle, but what's his knot like? You're way braver than me, taking Sephiroth's knot. I've never fucked him, not interested, so don't get jealous, but I've seen him when you're in heat. He could give Rude a run for his money."

Cloud burst out laughing, nearly choking on his beer. "I'm going to try it. I can never really remember what it's like during my heat. I know it feels good, and I always remember that I felt safe, but it's mostly just a blur. I want to know what it's like for real … one day."

"One day. You'll know when you're ready, and we all know now that he'll wait for you until then, so there's no need to rush. And when you are, you know he'll make you feel so fucking amazing. He loves you so much."

He reached for another chip and chewed slowly while they watched the first race. Reno had said numerous times that he didn't want kids, and nobody seemed upset about that or tried to change his mind. Maybe they thought he'd change it himself after he mated, but maybe not. "Reno?" he said when the TV cut to a commercial break.

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath and blurted out what Doctor Gast had told him about the possibility of reversing his sterilization.

"Damn. That sounds scary."

"Is it wrong that I don't want to try? Should I ask Sephiroth what he wants?"

Reno looked over at him with wide eyes and muted the TV. "Dude, that seriously sounds fucking terrifying. Of course it's not wrong to not want to. Even if it was a guaranteed success it wouldn't be wrong. You're more than a means to make babies, and what Sephiroth wants doesn't matter. It's your body. He agreed to mate you knowing that you can't have kids, and you don't owe him anything. If you _want _to try, then absolutely, talk to him about it and see what he thinks. Although to be honest, I don't really think he'd want to risk it. Surgery's no joke, and pregnancy isn't easy. I think he's got his own issues from losing his mom, and I'm pretty certain he'd rather not have kids than put you at risk."

Cloud slowly nodded his head as he mulled it over. "Thanks." Reno had a good point. Doctor Gast had said that if he got pregnant, it would be considered high risk. Sephiroth's history with his own parents would probably make him nervous about that. "Oh, Joe's up this round! Turn the volume back on."

He turned his attention back to the screen as he and Reno cheered on their favourite rider. He thought he would maybe tell Sephiroth what Gast had said. The idea of keeping secrets didn't feel good, but he was sure that the alpha would understand and accept why he didn't want to do it.

XXX

A/N: This was one of those weeks where I was extremely glad that I get stubborn and insist to the new kids at Baskin Robbins that they do indeed sell ice cream in pints and they will indeed be selling one to me. But ice cream and everyone's kind comments make things better. It's so nice to hear from you guys. Thanks for reading :)


	11. Bonding Mission

Cloud couldn't keep the smile off his face as Birdy ran swiftly down the rutted road. She seemed like she was having as much fun as he was, and he was fairly sure that Pippin was having more fun than both of them combined. The pack chocobo was hardly carrying anything—just the lunch Cloud had made and a few supplies. Sephiroth was letting him run without a lead, and he was taking the opportunity to dart around and jump over minor obstacles like they were hazards on a race track.

It was apparently extremely rare for Sephiroth to stay in Midgar for so long, and it was obvious to Cloud that both he and his chocobos were happy to get out of the city for a while. This would just be a quick trip, going out to a nearby town called Kalm to deal with some monsters that were interfering with travel. They would be back by evening. He was glad to have the opportunity to see what a SOLDIER mission was like, though.

"Look! Chocobos!" Cloud pointed to the cluster of them high up on a distant plateau.

"Oh, good eye! Wild chocobos are common around here, but they're notoriously timid and hard to spot." Sephiroth brought Birdy to a halt and they watched the chocobos until they moved out of sight. When they moved on again, Cloud kept his eyes peeled for more.

After travelling for nearly three hours, the road began to narrow. Huge rocks and steep cliffs loomed overhead, partially blocking the sky. Cloud felt Sephiroth's body stiffen slightly. Just as he thought it, but before he had a chance to get nervous, Sephiroth spoke.

"The report said the attacks have been occurring around this area. Do you see the nooks and crannies in the cliffs and between the rocks? Those make it easy for predators to hide. If travellers aren't paying attention, it's easy to be taken by surprise. Ah, here we go."

Sephiroth's right arm clamped down over his chest like an iron rod, holding him tightly in place while he drew his sword. Cloud barely saw the thing leaping at them before the blade was cleaving it in two.

"Looks like normal wolves that have been mutated by mako," Sephiroth said casually as he took out another one. Cloud was amazed at how calm the alpha's voice was. Like he was just having a normal conversation instead of fighting vicious monsters. It helped him feel less scared.

"Mutated by mako?"

"That's right. Mako isn't used much anymore. SOLDIERs are still enhanced using small amounts of it to give us the advantage in combat, but other than that, Neo Shinra just keeps a small supply on hand to be able to run the vital services in the event of an emergency." Birdy took a big leap over a lunging wolf, knocking it down before spinning around so Sephiroth could kill it. "The old Shinra, on the other hand, left us with secret pipelines, storage facilities, and reactors all over the world that are degrading as time goes on."

Cloud suddenly found himself bent down so his face was jammed into Birdy's feathers, and Sephiroth leaned over him, completely blocking him off with his body. Not even a second later, something slammed into the alpha, and Cloud could hear it snarling and snapping. The arm around him didn't loosen even slightly, and Sephiroth gave a grunt of effort before launching them both upwards. A moment later, the weight was gone, and Cloud was sitting back upright in his seat in time to see a wolf go flying over Birdy's head. Birdy jumped, catching it with her talons and slamming it into the ground where something crunched unpleasantly.

"I suspect that one of those degrading stockpiles is leaking mako into the water supply these wolves have been using, causing the mutations," Sephiroth continued his explanation like nothing had happened. His sword continued to flick left and right faster than Cloud could process, piling up more and more bodies. "We'll track down the water supply and see if we can find the source of the contamination, then a specialist team will come out to clean it up so no more animals are harmed by it."

In hardly any time, the road fell silent again, and they were surrounded by the bloody bodies of the pack. Sephiroth's grip on him loosened, and he leaned around and stroked Cloud's cheek with his thumb.

"You okay?"

His heart was thumping wildly, but after taking a couple moments to think, Cloud nodded. Thanks to the alpha's calm attitude and overwhelming competence, he had never actually felt like he was in danger. "Are you? Did you get bitten when it jumped on you?"

"I'm fine. It landed exactly where I wanted it to. It might have added a new scratch to my shoulder armour, that's all." Sephiroth kissed his forehead, then sat upright again and whistled.

"Wait! Where's Pippin?" He looked around desperately, hoping the chocobo hadn't been hurt.

"On his way back. Here he comes." Pippin appeared from around a small bend and warked happily. "Good boy, Pip. It's difficult for him to fight if he's got a pack on, so it's his job to book it and protect the supplies when we fight. He technically could have stuck around today, but I didn't want to risk the lunch you worked so hard on getting ruined. Speaking of lunch, are you getting hungry?"

"Yeah, I could eat."

"Great. Let's get off the road and find a nice spot. I'll leave you with Birdy to set up lunch while Pippin and I deal with these bodies. I don't want scavengers coming along and eating the contaminated remains, so I need to burn them."

Cloud wrinkled his nose at the prospect and was secretly glad that Sephiroth didn't want him to help with that. He was interested to see how they would go about tracking down the source of the contamination, however. He wondered just how much cleaning up after the old Shinra's messes they still had to do after so long. Though he had learned a lot about how much devastation they had caused, it was still shocking to see how their practices were still causing problems.

XXX

"I had a really good time today," Cloud said as they entered the apartment building. "Thanks for bringing me along."

"Thanks for coming. It was nice having company for it."

An alpha Cloud didn't know got off the elevator and slowed as he passed, staring at him with interest. Sephiroth placed a protective arm over his shoulders and gave a low growl, and the alpha quickly backed up and moved on.

"I need to scent mark you again, I'm sorry. Do you mind coming to my place? I'll get it done quickly."

"I don't mind." Being scent-marked was far better than being hit on and leered at all the time.

Once they were inside, Sephiroth took his hand and led him through to the bedroom, where he sat on the bed to wait. His breath came a little quicker at the thought of what Sephiroth was going to be doing in the bathroom.

"Wait," he called out, making a split-second decision to be brave, and Sephiroth froze in his tracks. "Can you do it in here?"

The alpha turned back to him. "With you?"

Cloud gave a small nod. "I—I'm curious. I've been looking at that magazine you gave me sometimes. I … like it."

"Do you?" Sephiroth slowly walked towards the bed. "I figured you had tossed it."

He shook his head. "You gave it to me. But I was scared to look at it until a little while ago. I like the pictures. It's not a bad thing … right?"

"I'm glad you like it. And no, it's not a bad thing at all. The porn industry here has a lot of regulations. The models wanted to be doing that." Sephiroth sat down next to him and gently tucked some hair behind his ear. "Would you like me to just masturbate like I would in the other room? Or would you like me to do what an alpha would normally do to scent mark?"

"I want … I want normal. You don't have to fuck me for it, right?"

"No, I absolutely don't. It's just a little bit more intimate. If it makes you uncomfortable at any point, just say so and I'll stop right away."

Cloud gulped and nodded, then Sephiroth shifted closer to him and placed some gentle kisses on his brow. He _wanted _to do things like this. He wanted intimacy. He knew he did. The pictures of the alpha and omega together were his favourites. He liked imagining being together with Sephiroth. He just had to get over his fear. This was just another small step. He tilted his head up to seek Sephiroth's lips. Sephiroth cupped the back of his head and kissed him properly, something he hadn't done since the incident with Luxiere. He hadn't realized how much he missed it.

Hands slid down his sides and plucked at the hem of his shirt. He supposed it would be easier that way. It was okay. He liked the way his body looked now. Sephiroth wouldn't laugh at him or call him names. He raised his arms and let Sephiroth pull it over his head, then the alpha eased him down onto his back.

"Doing okay?"

"Yes. I'm not scared."

"That's good, I never want you to feel scared with me. Is it okay if I take my clothes off? I can do it with them on, just unfastening my pants, but it's more comfortable nude."

"It's okay." It occurred to Cloud that he had never really seen Sephiroth naked. He knew he was during his heat, but that hardly counted.

Sephiroth stood and began to quickly undress, but he slowed when he saw Cloud looking.

"You—I like you—your ..."

"I like your body too. And you."

Cloud laughed and shifted back a bit, making himself comfortable. Seeing Sephiroth's body, and his long, hardening penis made him stiffen as well. He was fairly certain that a damp patch was forming in his underwear. He trembled, not with fear, but anticipation as Sephiroth crawled onto the bed and swung one leg over him, straddling his stomach.

Sephiroth pumped some lubricant onto his left palm and began to stroke himself while Cloud watched, absolutely fascinated. He yearned to reach up and touch as well, but at the same time, he also wanted to just watch the man pleasure himself.

"Does it feel good?" he asked.

"It does. It feels so much better with you here. Still all right?"

"Yeah." Cloud was pretty sure that his heart was going to beat its way out of his chest. If he had his stethoscope, he'd be going deaf.

Cloud couldn't look away as Sephiroth hovered over him, pumping himself slowly.

"Tilt your head back," he said after a while, then leaned forward, supporting himself on one hand.

Cloud did so, exposing his neck to the alpha, and seconds later Sephiroth moaned with pleasure as his hot, sticky release splattered onto his chest and neck. The smell of it made Cloud squirm with desire, and he moaned as well when Sephiroth began to gently rub it into his scent glands.

"Just breathe. You're okay."

"I know, I—" He was surprised to realize that he had bent his knees and spread his legs apart. Gaia, he wanted to touch himself.

"Do you want me to leave you alone? I can bring you something from your room. What you're feeling is perfectly normal."

He meant a dildo. Cloud was certain that was what he meant. But he thought back to the magazine. To the picture of the alpha lying next to the omega, using his fingers ... "Will you touch me?"

"If you want me to."

"I do, I—yes."

"Can we take off your pants?" He gave a shaky nod and fumbled with the button himself, then pushed them down. Sephiroth helped pull them off the rest of the way, then gently rubbed his neck again. "Is there a way in particular that you'd like me to touch?"

Despite blushing fiercely, Cloud managed to describe one of the pictures he had liked the most, and Sephiroth stretched out next to him, tucking one arm behind his head to cradle him against his chest.

"Like this?" His free hand trailed downwards over Cloud's chest, brushing over his nipples. He pressed his lips to Cloud's as he moved lower to rub his stiff cock with his still wet hand.

Cloud reached up to pull Sephiroth closer. "Like this," he mumbled around the kiss.

Sephiroth's hand slipped further down and cupped his balls in his palm before rubbing his entrance.

"Yes," Cloud hissed, spreading his legs wider. It felt so different compared to touching himself, and he gave a pathetic little whine when two fingers slid gently into him. Sephiroth kept his balls cradled in his palm as he pumped his fingers in and out, and he rolled them around and stroked them with his thumb. It occasionally slid upwards to rub the underside of his cock, and Cloud could only cling to him and continue to kiss as the pleasure built.

His only regret was that it felt too good. It was impossible to hold himself back once he started really feeling it, and he always came so quickly. Sephiroth kissed him as he came, shuddering in his embrace.

"Good, good. You're doing so well."

Unlike when he masturbated, however, Sephiroth didn't stop. His fingers kept thrusting and wiggling inside him. It made him squirm a bit a first, then Cloud gasped in realization as he felt it building again. The sensations were more acute now, but not painful or overwhelming.

"Is this how Reno always spends so long?" he wondered out loud.

"Do you stop after one?" Sephiroth asked, and his hand stilled.

Cloud tugged on Sephiroth's arm, trying to get him to start again. "I do, but don't!"

Sephiroth chuckled and hugged him before resuming his thrusting. "As long as you like it."

"I do—I didn't think—" Gaia, it felt good. He was beginning to be able to smell himself over Sephiroth's scent.

"Multiple orgasms aren't just for when you're in heat. That first one is always just a quick warmup. It makes me jealous sometimes."

The second one took a lot longer, with a more gradual buildup, but it felt even stronger than the first. When he came, he clutched desperately at Sephiroth, just to keep himself somewhat grounded.

"Keep going?" Sephiroth asked with a teasing grin, his hand never slowing.

"Please," he begged. Fuck, he never thought he'd be begging outside of a heat, but it just felt so good. He didn't want it to end yet. He shuddered when a third finger pressed into him.

"Stroke yourself," Sephiroth whispered in his ear. He grabbed at the lubricant using the arm that was still tucked under Cloud and pumped some into his palm. Cloud reached down and gripped his stiff cock, moaning as the added sensation threatened to overwhelm him immediately. "That's it. You're so amazing."

The third one didn't take as long, but Cloud couldn't keep himself from practically screaming in pleasure as the combination of the two different orgasms wracked his whole body at the same time. He arched his back, unable to hold still as he came all over himself, until he finally collapsed back into Sephiroth's embrace, panting.

"Enough," he whispered, and Sephiroth's fingers slipped out of him.

His eyes went wide when Sephiroth straddled him again and he lifted the fingers that had just been inside him to his mouth, sucking them in one at a time. His cock looked even bigger than before, and precome was leaking in a steady stream from the tip. Cloud needed no encouragement the second time, and tilted his head back, exposing his neck again as the alpha stroked himself. It only took three strokes, then Sephiroth gave a cry to match his own. His aim wasn't as good that time, and come splattered not only over his chest and neck but up onto his face as well.

Cloud raised his hand and spread some over his lips, darting his tongue out to taste it while Sephiroth watched with eyes that had gone nearly completely black with lust, with just the tiniest sliver of green around the edges.

He gave his head a shake and blinked as more green slowly returned to his eyes. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that without asking first."

"I didn't mind. I ..." Cloud pulled at Sephiroth's shoulders until he lay down again and wrapped him up in his arms. He couldn't quite come up with the words to describe how he was feeling, and so just snuggled close and hoped that Sephiroth understood that he was okay. Sephiroth rubbed his back and began purring, though it felt and sounded different than usual.

"Holy shit, I guess I really didn't scare you."

That was odd. Sephiroth always had to stop purring to speak. "What?"

"Fuck, didn't mean to interrupt you. Don't suppose you can do it again?"

"What are you—was that me?"

Sephiroth laughed and kissed the top of his head. "Yes, that was you, silly. Omegas can purr too, but not deliberately like alphas. They have to be feeling extremely happy and satisfied to manage it. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling very proud of myself right now. I'll try not to let it go to my head though."

"That was pretty satisfying," he admitted with a blush. "I had no idea I could—is it like that with ... with sex too?"

"Mmm. You should try it out when you're ready. I don't know which came first, the alphas' staying power or the omegas' ability to have multiple orgasms, but they work well together. I swear I don't usually come as quickly as I did that second time. It's just that coming during scent-marking is always faster than sex, and you turned me on so much. I was about ready to pop whether I touched myself or not. You'd had enough, so my body was ready to finish."

"I turned you on?"

"You did. You are so fucking wonderful, Cloud. I'm so excited to spend the rest of my life with you."

Cloud smiled and snuggled back into Sephiroth's chest. A few moments later, the purring started up again, and this time he could tell it was coming from him. The wet patch where he lay was dry by the time he stopped.

"I suppose Reno will be wondering where I am."

"Do you want to stay here tonight?"

"With you?"

"Well, I'd rather not sleep on the couch, to be honest, and crashing somewhere else so you can sleep here alone might get awkward to explain."

Cloud laughed, imagining how that conversation would go. "I miss sleeping with you. When we were travelling, it was so nice going to bed every night. I'd never felt safe like that before."

"Then spend the night if you'd like. I miss sleeping with you too." Sephiroth pushed himself up and stretched. "I'll just go tell Reno where you are and grab your pyjamas and toothbrush. Anything else you need?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay. If you want to take a shower, go ahead."

Cloud looked down at himself and shook his head in disbelief. Between the dust from the road and their respective fluids that had gotten smeared all over him, he definitely needed a shower.

There were clean sheets on the bed when he got out of the shower, and his favourite pyjamas were set out on it. He wasn't sure if the selection was Reno's doing or Sephiroth's. They both seemed to notice little things like that. When he stepped out of the bedroom, however, Tseng was waiting in the living room.

"Hey, Cloud. Can I talk with you for just a second?" Tseng sat down and patted his lap, and though Cloud was a bit confused as to what was going on, he cuddled up with him. The mated alpha had nearly always been a great source of comfort, and Cloud knew he had his best interests in mind. "How was your day?"

"Good. It was nice seeing the sort of work Sephiroth normally does. I wasn't scared at all."

"That's great. I knew Sephiroth would keep you safe. And are you feeling okay about staying here tonight? It's okay if you're not. You can tell me in secret, and I'll make up a reason why you can't."

Cloud shook his head. "I really want to stay."

"Okay, good. I'm so glad that you're comfortable with it." Tseng ruffled his hair and gave him a tight hug before letting him up. "Have a good night. Thanks, Sephiroth," he called in a louder voice as he headed for the door.

"No problem."

Sephiroth was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, and something in the oven smelled good.

"Thought you might like a small snack." Sephiroth held out his arms and hugged him when he went to him.

He smiled, grateful for Sephiroth's thoughtfulness. That had taken a lot of energy, and the dinner they had stopped for on the way back seemed like a very long time ago. "Tseng just wanted to make sure I was okay?"

"Yes. Reno thought it would be best to let him know and have him check in on you, and I agreed. Just in case. I meant it when I said I don't want you feeling scared, and I don't want to pressure you."

"So Reno wasn't upset?"

"No, he said that as soon as Tseng cleared it, he was going to invite Zack over and rattle the walls." Sephiroth kissed him softly. "He knows that this is good progress as long as you're comfortable with it, and would never begrudge your happiness. He expects to hear all about how the mission went tomorrow, though."

"I'm glad. I'm going to miss him."

"Miss him? Is he going somewhere? You know he'll still be your friend after we mate, right? And I'm certain he'll still help you out when you need it."

"I thought unmated—"

Sephiroth scoffed, interrupting him. "You think those punks you hang out with are going to cut you off when you'll be a mythril mine of fresh information about mating? Never mind the fact that you're their friend?" The oven beeped and Sephiroth jumped down and took out a steaming apple pie. "Picked it up from the farmer's market the other day," he explained. "Want ice cream with it?"

"Yes, please. It smells delicious."

Sephiroth cut the small pie in half and doled out a big scoop of ice cream for each of them. "Mating doesn't mean losing your friends, Cloud. You'll have slightly different experiences than them for a while, but they'll all need to mate as well, sooner or later. It _will _mean giving up your apartment, which I understand will be hard. I know how much you like it, but we can find a new place if you don't want to move in here. Make a home that's ours, rather than mine with you added."

Cloud took the plate that Sephiroth handed him and went over to the table. "Ours …"

Sephiroth cocked his head at him as he sat. "Let's have a look at what's available. I think it would be nice to have a fresh start."

"I—I think I'd like that too. I know … I think it would be nice to make a home from scratch. The way we both want it." He didn't dislike Sephiroth's apartment, but he always felt a bit awkward in it, despite Sephiroth's efforts to make him feel welcome.

"Then let's do that. Have you given any more thought as to where you'd like to go for our honeymoon?"

Cloud blushed as he took a big bite of pie. "I know it's not what you had in mind, but I can't stop thinking about it. Can we go back to that cabin? The one we stayed at on the way here?"

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sure, if that's what you want. I suppose that means I should give you your mating present early."

"My mating present?"

"Yes, it's been a tradition since the geostigma crisis. Alphas give a gift that symbolizes their devotion to their omega's happiness. It's a sort of promise to not go back to the way we used to treat omegas. You'll need time to get acquainted if we're going back to the cabin, so I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"And spoil the surprise? I don't think so."

Cloud's mind was kept occupied with wondering what the present might be for the remainder of the evening. He barely paid attention to the TV show they watched and was distracted right up until he crawled into the bed next to Sephiroth. Once the alpha's arms wrapped around him, however, his preoccupation fizzled out. He would find out tomorrow. For now, he could only think about how happy he was, there in his future mate's embrace.

XXX

The ground disappeared from underneath Cloud's feet the instant he realized where they were going. It was only Sephiroth who kept him upright.

"The chocobo stables?"

Sephiroth just hugged him and dragged him forwards. When he pushed open the door, there was only one chocobo there. It was a massive bird, bigger even than Birdy, with feathers darker than hers as well, more of a gold colour than yellow. It was fully saddled.

"This is Dancer," Sephiroth said while Cloud stared in wonderment. "Birdy's daughter. She's been trained specially for you. I enjoy riding with you and would still love to whenever you'd like, but I want you to have your own chocobo as well. You're not giving up your independence by mating. Dancer is your proof of that. You can go anywhere and do anything with her."

"My ... own?" Cloud reached out to the huge bird and she lowered her head, letting him rub her beak before running his fingers through the beautiful feathers on her head. "Hello, Dancer."

She gave a soft kweh and knelt down, lifting her wings out of the way.

With an encouraging nod from Sephiroth, he swung a leg over her back while she held still. The saddle was much slimmer than Birdy's, which was meant for combat, and was small enough to fit him perfectly. He had learned to ride a bit by himself, but Birdy's saddle had been too big for him and was uncomfortable to sit in for long periods unless he had Sephiroth to support him.

"Click your tongue twice when you're ready and she'll stand. You won't ever need help to mount or dismount her."

Cloud clicked twice and she rose gracefully to her feet, then remained still, waiting for further commands. The stirrups were the right length for him, and he took up the reins. "She's really for me?"

"She's all yours. I know she'll take good care of you."

"Thank you so much, I—"

"Would you like to go for a ride and get started learning what she can do?"

Cloud grinned widely as he blinked back his tears. "Yes, please."


	12. Family

Cloud tapped on Reno's doorframe, catching his friend's attention. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked.

"Sure, come on in. Need a cuddle?"

He nodded and went over to the bed, where Reno shuffled over to make room for him. Normally he liked having Sephiroth stay with him the night before his heat was going to start, but this time …

Reno pulled him into his arms and held him close. "You okay?"

He nodded again but felt a tear slide down his cheek. Reno wiped it away with his thumb.

"It's going to be okay, I promise. Sephiroth loves you. You're going to be so happy with him."

"I know, I just …"

"You're not ready, I understand, and I'm so sorry. I hate those monsters for what they did to you. You should have had more time."

"There's just so much … I wish I could be like you."

"A big slut?"

Cloud laughed despite his miserable mood. "Maybe."

"Do you want to fuck me? So you can at least know what that's like?"

"What? That's—I couldn't!"

"I mean, you're perfectly capable of it, but you won't be after tomorrow. I'm totally down for it if you're curious. I'm sure Sephiroth won't mind, but we could ask him if you're worried. Alphas get jealous, but they also know that mating means that there's no one else, ever. You've been legit robbed of opportunities, and he'll understand if you want to get one last experience in before the deadline."

He considered that for a moment. He _was _curious. He had seen a fair bit of porn now, and a lot featured omegas together. It seemed like it was a fairly normal thing. He just didn't like the thought of being with someone other than Sephiroth. "No. Thanks, but I think … I think no."

"Okay. Offer still stands if you change your mind." Reno kissed him gently and pulled the blanket around them. "You're going to be okay, Cloud. I promise. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day."

XXX

Sephiroth woke before dawn and spent several hours pacing, trying to convince himself to leave Cloud alone. For the first time, Cloud hadn't wanted him there before his heat, and while he hated to admit it, it hurt. Logically, he knew that Cloud wasn't having doubts about choosing him as a mate. He knew that he was simply anxious about mating in general and probably wanted a last bit of freedom. He knew it wasn't unusual at all. He knew Cloud loved him. The omega _purred _for him, for fuck's sake! It still hurt, though, and he wanted to go check on him.

He looked at the clock, then resumed his pacing. Another half-hour. He'd give it another half hour, then he would go make his mate breakfast.

The apartment was quiet when he let himself in, and the door to Cloud's room was closed. He was about to go to it when Reno called out, "In here."

Reno's door was ajar, and the two omegas were a tangle of limbs and bedding. "Morning," said the redhead.

Cloud rolled over and held up his arms, inviting him over. He got a kiss and a sleepy nuzzle against his scent gland when he sat down next to them.

"Good morning. It doesn't smell like sex, but did you two have a good night?"

Reno laughed. "I offered, yo! For the first time ever, this hot bod got turned down! Can you believe it?"

"That it was the first time you've been turned down? I definitely don't believe it. You didn't want to, Cloud? I don't mind if you do."

"You really wouldn't mind?"

"I'm not about to deny you something you won't have another chance at. Reno's no threat to me, and I'll have you all to myself for the rest of our lives."

Cloud gave him a small smile but shook his head. "I'm curious about what it's like the other way, but no, I'd rather not. You're who I want to be with."

Sephiroth paused for a moment to process the simple statement and smiled. "Okay. If you ever want to satisfy that curiosity, you can always fuck me."

Reno had just taken a sip of water and sprayed it over all three of them. "Are you into that!?"

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Little bit."

"How? When? With who?"

"You're such a pervert, Reno. And it's 'with whom'. Part of your job is being conscious of your language, remember? Cloud isn't mated yet. He's still your responsibility." Cloud looked curious as well, however, so he decided to answer. "First time was with Genesis. We were young and horny, and no omega would give us the time of day, so we fucked each other. Honestly, I think most alphas do at some point. Omegas, quite reasonably, never want us until we've matured, but we really, really want to fuck, and so we make do. Alphas, betas, both male and female, it doesn't matter as long as everyone's having a good time. Omegas make being on the receiving end look like so much fun, so of course I wanted to try it out too. And what do you know? It is."

"How the hell did I not know this?"

"We grow out of the urge to stick our dicks into anyone and everyone by the time omegas start paying attention to us. I still like getting fucked, though." He smiled at Cloud. "So don't worry about missing out, okay? You'll still have opportunities to top if you want to."

"O—okay."

"Damn, I ... Do you think Rude or Zack would let me do them? Or would they fuck while I watch?"

Sephiroth laughed and shook his head. "I've created a monster. You're going to have to ask them that yourself, but two alphas and one omega is rarely a good combination. They'll fight."

Reno sighed in disappointment, then brightened again. "What if there're two omegas?"

He threw a pillow at Reno's head and stood. "I'll give you some videos if you want to see it so badly. What would you like for breakfast, Cloud?"

Cloud sat up and hugged his knees. "Are you going to be happy mated to me?" he asked quietly. The mood in the room instantly sobered, and Reno slipped out of the bed.

"I'll put some coffee on."

"Thanks, Reno. Boil some water for Cloud's tea too, please." Sephiroth sat back down and pulled Cloud's head down to rest on his shoulder. "I love you, Cloud. I knew that I wanted to mate you since the first heat we spent together. And I suspected I did when you first smiled for me. Watching your personality begin to shine through a little bit more every day as you began to trust me … it made me so certain that you were right for me. It was so hard to not let on while we were travelling, but I wanted you to have the same opportunities to explore your preferences that I did. I'm not giving anything up by mating you."

"Everyone says you didn't want to mate until now."

"I didn't. I was waiting for the right person, and if the right person didn't come along, or if he didn't return my feelings, then I wasn't going to. There are far more alphas than omegas, so it's not like I would have had to in order to keep someone from going without a mate. I want to be with _you_. Now, it's true, I have had sex with a lot of people, and I certainly enjoyed that part of my life very much. But it's over now, and I'm perfectly fine with that. It doesn't compare in the slightest to how I feel about you."

He sighed as he ran his fingers through Cloud's hair, combing out the spikes that were always even more wild after he slept on them. "If you hadn't chosen me, I wouldn't have mated. I would have accepted it and left you alone, but I wouldn't have wanted to put another omega through a life of knowing that he was my second choice. I wouldn't have been able to forget about you, and he would have always known that he was second best. Cloud, I'm not doing this out of pity. I never would have courted you if it wasn't what I truly wanted."

Cloud raised his head and blinked away several tears before wrapping his arms around his neck. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy. Because of you. Trust me. I am so lucky that you chose me. So please let me make you some breakfast. I can tell that you're going to start a bit early, and I want you well fed going into it. I know this is going to be difficult for you, and I know you're not ready, but we'll get through it together. We'll go at your pace. You have all of my love, and all of my patience."

"Okay … thank you. I love you too, I—"

"I know you do. I know. And no thanks for basic decency, remember?"

XXX

Sephiroth shuddered as Cloud withdrew his teeth and began to gently lick at his neck. He couldn't begin to comprehend the connection he felt and understood why descriptions of mating had always been so vague. It was like nothing he'd ever imagined mating would be like. Cloud wasn't _his_, he was simply a part of him now, and would be until the day he died. Or he was a part of Cloud. It didn't matter. Either way, he knew that he was finally complete. The omega gave a small sigh and settled back into the blankets with his eyes closed.

He'd gotten used to moving Cloud around while he was knotted, and it was an easy task to get him up and turned around so Sephiroth could sit with him on his lap, cradled against his chest. Cloud snuggled in and pressed his nose against the bond they had just created while Sephiroth pressed the button on the nightstand.

Several minutes later, there was a soft tap at the door. "It's Tseng, not Reno. Do you need to cover Cloud?"

"Yes, just a second." He grabbed the nearest loose blanket and draped it over them, tucking it around Cloud and making sure he wasn't exposed. Cloud didn't mind Reno seeing him, but had asked that he always be covered if anyone else needed to come in while he was in heat.

"Did it go smoothly?" the Turk asked when he entered carrying a tray that he set by the bed.

Sephiroth nodded and pushed back Cloud's hair to expose the bite mark over his scent gland.

"And he reciprocated?"

"Yes, he didn't hesitate, but …" He gestured to the omega who was licking the bite once more. "Don't want to make him move to show you."

Tseng chuckled and shook his head. "I understand. It feels good, doesn't it? Congratulations." He held out a glass of champagne.

Oh, he had forgotten about that tradition. He took a sip and then rubbed Cloud's head, catching his attention. Curiously, he covered Sephiroth's scent gland with his hand when he turned his head away. "Is that normal?" he asked.

Tseng gave a shrug. "It's kind of strange, but he could just be feeling a bit protective or shy. I'm not worried. He'll probably let me see it next time."

Nodding his understanding, Sephiroth left Cloud's hand where it was. "Hey, congratulations, Cloud." He held the glass to Cloud's lips, and he drank, expecting his usual water. He gave a little jerk of surprise and then sneezed.

"Sorry, love, that wasn't what you wanted at all, was it? Did the bubbles go up your nose?"

Tseng laughed as Sephiroth set the glass aside and picked up the water bottle instead, taking a sip before allowing Cloud to drink slowly. "Reno and I are finishing this one. We'll have a fresh bottle ready to open when it's over."

Once they were alone again, Sephiroth spent several minutes just smiling at his mate until he turned his head away from the bottle. He picked up the plate that held an apple that had been cut into bite-sized pieces, ate one, then pressed another past Cloud's lips. He got five into him before Cloud began to refuse him.

He sighed and reached for the high calorie, nutrient-rich bottle of sludge that a dietician had come up with for him instead. "One day, I'm going to be able to get you to eat enough, I swear."

The drink was disgusting, in Sephiroth's opinion, despite the claims of a chocolate flavour. He paused, staring at the bottle. What the hell was he doing drinking it? Was he subconsciously prioritizing himself? Cloud nuzzled at him, searching for the bottle he had learned to expect, and Sephiroth held it to his lips. Surely that wasn't it. There was a plate piled high with actual food for him. If he were putting himself first, he'd be eating that, not bits of apple and a condensed caloric slop.

Realization dawned on him and he smiled again. "We're definitely going to need to work on getting you to actually eat food during your heat if I'm going to be taste-testing everything for you." That made so much more sense. He was stronger and more aware than his mate. He'd be able to notice and react if the food was poisoned or had gone off. Cloud couldn't pay attention to things like that right now, and so had to rely on him to try it first.

Cloud paused in his drinking and looked up at him quizzically.

"Well, I'm sorry, but it's really gross. You could be eating … look, we've got some lovely roast beef and fresh veggies from the greenhouse, and yet you choose to go for this. I think I have a right to think you're a bit silly if I have to drink it too from now on."

Cloud blinked several times and furrowed his brow, clearly trying to follow what he was saying, but not understanding. It was apparently true that mating made omegas more out of it than usual. At least it would only be for this heat. Cloud wasn't normally the most talkative during his heat, but Sephiroth did appreciate having him able to at least understand and respond to questions when he needed to.

"Drink up, my love," he said with a sigh. "I'll suffer for you."

XXX

Cloud's awareness returned to the sensation of Sephiroth slipping out of him, but the urges of the heat didn't follow. He lifted his hand to his neck, feeling the puncture wounds that would heal into the scars to mark him as Sephiroth's.

"Does it hurt?" The purring he hadn't realized he had been feeling broke off, and his mate's voice was tender and full of concern.

"No, not really. So, it's done?"

"It's done. How do you feel?"

He considered it for a while. "Not as different as I thought I would. Just kind of … comfortable. Like something was missing before, but now it's not. How do you feel?"

"So fucking happy. Complete."

Cloud wasn't quite sure if happy was the word he'd use to describe his emotions, but he wasn't sad, either, and he did feel very, very loved. He supposed happiness would come as he got used to it.

"Feel like getting cleaned up?"

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course. We're going to find it difficult to be separated for a little while, but that will fade as the bond matures."

"So this is normal?" He always wanted Sephiroth to spend some time with him after his heat, but this time, just the thought of going to the bathroom to piss and take a shower without him made him feel sick.

"I would rather leave a limb behind than you to go make a cup of tea the way you like it, despite knowing that you want tea and that Reno will fuck it up. If you're feeling at all like that, then I'd say it's probably normal."

Cloud laughed. "A limb would be a lot better, but maybe I don't need tea this time. I like your limbs being attached more than tea. Why does Reno let it steep so long?"

"Because he's terrible. Let's go take a quick shower together, and then I think we'll be getting a celebratory meal. Do you need a small snack to eat first?"

"No, I'm not that hungry. Did I eat this time?"

Sephiroth gave his head a sad shake. "Not a meaningful amount, but don't worry, we'll get there. You've grown used to the meal replacement drinks, and that's easy enough to get you to drink now. You got enough calories to get you through it, so that's what counts."

Cloud sighed heavily. "I don't know why I keep—"

"Because you've been through some shit, Cloud. It's no fault on your part. You got enough calories." Sephiroth hauled him from the bed, putting an end to the discussion. They got cleaned up together, then dressed in warm pyjamas.

Cloud gently touched the marks on his neck as Sephiroth brushed out his hair. "I really ...?"

"You certainly did. And I think that Tseng is going to want to properly make sure that you reciprocated. You wouldn't let anyone see it while you were in heat. Making sure that I was well and truly yours, I suspect."

"I wouldn't let him see?"

"No, it was pretty funny, actually. Whenever someone came in to bring food, you got quite possessive and absolutely refused to leave it uncovered."

"That's kind of strange, isn't it?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "Somewhat, but it made me feel good. What do you say? Ready to face the world together?"

Cloud nodded with determination. "Together."

Reno and Tseng were waiting in the living room when they went out, and to his surprise, Sephiroth's father was there as well.

"Congrats, baby," Reno said as he jumped up and ran over to hug him. "How're you doing?"

It was slightly awkward hugging Reno while being unwilling to let go of Sephiroth, but he managed it. "I'm good. It's weird, but I'm okay."

"That's gonna be a sexy scar. Looks good on you. So can we see Sephiroth's now?"

He blushed and nodded, though something stirred within him when Sephiroth tilted his head to the side and pulled his hair back. He didn't want people looking, and as soon as they'd all had a chance to get a glimpse, he couldn't stop himself from tugging his mate downwards. Sephiroth lifted him up and let him remain with his nose pressed against the wound without complaint.

"Sorry, Cloud," Tseng said. "I had to confirm it for myself. It's a rule dating back to just after the geostigma crisis. If an alpha doesn't let his omega reciprocate, only the omega ends up mated, and the alpha can continue to have sex with whoever he wants, potentially neglecting the omega's needs. I know that Sephiroth would have let you, but all matings _have _to be confirmed as mutual by a third party. The only reason I didn't force it while you were in heat was because you were the one hiding it, not him. But I've seen now, so you can wrap his neck up in a scarf if you want."

"Ugh, please don't. I'll die of heatstroke. I swear I won't show it off."

"Okay, sorry." It was embarrassing, but there was just something about letting people see it that really bothered him.

When he was set back down, Sephiroth made sure that his hair was draped in a way that kept it completely hidden from sight.

Vincent gave him a gentle smile and bent down so they were eye to eye. "It's uncommon, but this isn't the first time an omega's taken issue with people seeing his alpha's mating bond. Sephiroth's lucky he's got such long hair so he can easily hide it. Congratulations, Cloud. Small though it may be, you have a family now. Welcome."

Cloud could literally feel his mate's happiness at his father's acceptance, and he smiled back. A family? He had never even considered that that was what they would be.

"A gift to welcome you." Vincent held out his hand and when Cloud reached out, he dropped a delicate ring into his palm. "That belonged to my mate. She asked me to pass it on when Sephiroth mated. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. It's a woman's ring, after all, but I know she'd be pleased if you'd be willing to keep it."

"Thank—Thank you," he stammered, shocked beyond words at the gesture. He immediately began trying it on his fingers and beamed when it slid comfortably onto his left index finger. It was beautiful, with a clear stone in the centre surrounded by pale blue ones in a sort of star design.

"Thank you … dad." Sephiroth sounded even more shocked than he was.

Vincent stood up straight and hugged his son. "I'd tell you to take good care of him, but I know you will. Your mother would be proud of you. Now come on, let's eat."

"Finally!"

There was a loud popping noise and Cloud glanced away from his mate, who was wiping tears from his eyes, to see Reno with a champagne bottle. Beyond him, the table was piled high with their favourite foods. The sight of it made his stomach rumble.


	13. Moving Forwards

Getting back to the cabin was an entirely different journey than the one they had taken to Midgar. The ship ride was pretty much the same, with the same noise, smells, and crowdedness. Cloud was more used to it, though, and it wasn't entirely because he had a mate now that he spent slightly less time hiding with the chocobos.

Once they passed Corel, however, things changed drastically. The chocobos could run easily through the snow, but every time he got down from Dancer, he was bogged down at least waist-deep in the stuff. He had always been cold in winter when he lived in Nibelheim, but he had never actually gone out in the snow. He was far more capable now, however, and even he was able to notice the difference it made.

Before he had been exhausted and sore by the end of each day, but now, even though it was a lot more difficult riding on his own and through the snow, he was able to help set up the camp and care for the chocobos every evening. Far more than the token efforts he had made at being useful before.

"Next time I have a choice between a tropical beach and a frozen cabin in the middle of nowhere," he grumbled as he fought with the icy straps on Pippin's pack saddle, "remind me to choose the beach."

Sephiroth laughed while he started the fire. "And here I thought you were just romantic to the point of insanity."

"Could well be." He hauled the saddle off and dumped it with the others, then threw a thick blanket over the bird. "Good work today, Pippin. Sephiroth will get the fire going, and then you can have some nice warm mash."

"You spoil them too much."

"Maybe you don't spoil them enough." He brushed some snow off of Pippin's face and scratched under his beak, then went to tend to the other two pack chocobos they had brought. The extra birds were necessary for all the supplies they had because it was winter, and they were also hauling a complicated assortment of poles and wires. The director of SOLDIER, an omega named Lazard, wanted Sephiroth to install some sort of antenna at the cabin so people staying there could contact them in Midgar.

Sephiroth often grumbled about how he spoiled the chocobos, but he never actually told him not to. Cloud also didn't fail to notice how he kept their water warm by the fire and spent a few extra minutes making sure that they were settled comfortably before coming to bed.

"Is it too much for you?" Sephiroth asked as he curled around Cloud's shivering body that night, warming him with his own body heat. "The cold?"

He shook his head, even as his teeth chattered loudly. "No. I mean, it's cold, yeah, but it's not too bad. I think I like travelling, even in winter, as long as I've got you to warm me up." He wiggled a bit, then pressed his icy feet against Sephiroth's legs. His mate hissed in displeasure, but didn't pull away, and instead shifted so he could clamp them between his thighs.

"Good. We should get to the cabin by tomorrow afternoon, then I vote we stay until spring."

"I'm glad it was summer when you found me."

Sephiroth gave a loud sigh and kissed the top of his head. "You wouldn't have survived the trip if it had been winter. I would have worked something else out."

"I wouldn't have?"

"Cloud …" Sephiroth squeezed him even closer and purred for a few minutes. "I said you were fine so you wouldn't worry, but you were so unhealthy. Not just from the lack of nutrition, but you were touch-starved and …" He shook his head. "But you're better now. So much better. And you'll continue to get better."

XXX

Sephiroth purred as they rode. He doubted that Cloud could even notice it through all his layers of winter clothes, but it didn't matter. It was probably better that way, if he was being honest with himself. Cloud was busy looking at the scenery and chatting with the chocobos. There was no need to distract him from that. It wasn't for Cloud's sake that he was purring, after all.

He felt like a kid again: sitting in the hospital waiting room while his mother underwent more testing and treatments. He'd had a stuffed cactuar, and he would hug it and purr, trying to comfort himself. While logically he knew that Cloud was out of danger, saying out loud how bad it had been had him fighting to urge to curl up and cry, terrified of losing his mate. He was immensely grateful that Cloud had told him he didn't want to try reversing his sterilization. Having natural children had never been something he'd placed much importance on, whereas having his mate healthy and safe had become paramount in his mind.

He did wonder if Cloud was beginning to pick up on his emotions and make conscious decisions about them. This was the first time he had asked to ride with Sephiroth the whole trip, obviously enjoying having his own mount. He had claimed it was because he was cold, but it was several degrees warmer today that it had been so far. If it _had _been on purpose, Sephiroth certainly appreciated the gesture, as well as the subtlety.

He chuckled to himself, thinking of how Rufus would occasionally barge into meetings, announcing to everyone that Tseng needed a hug, then proceed to sit in his lap while complaining about the time he was wasting. It had become more than an occasional thing as his pregnancy had progressed, and Sephiroth hadn't failed to see the relief in Tseng's expression when he knew that his mate was healthy and safe. He definitely understood it better now that he was mated himself, but the majority of SOLDIERs remained unmated, and he knew he'd be a laughing stock if Cloud pulled something like that with him.

There were no witnesses here, however, and he leaned down and kissed Cloud's rosy cheek. "Thank you."

Cloud tilted his head back and smiled up at him. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, but I don't want to let go of you just yet."

"Good! I'm not moving over to a cold saddle when I've got a warm seat right here."

He laughed and squeezed Cloud tightly. "We should get there soon. When we do, can you get a fire going in the stove in the cabin while I get the 'bos settled? I promise I'll make sure they're comfortable and warm."

"All right. As long as you promise."

XXX

The cabin was surprisingly cozy in winter. The stove in the main room and fireplace in the bedroom kept it warm, and the root cellar had been fully stocked in the autumn, so their meals weren't lacking at all. Sephiroth had been a bit skeptical of Cloud's choice of destination at first, but the lazy days they spent cuddling in front of the fire, working on puzzles or playing games while sipping hot chocolate with no outside interruptions proved perfect for getting used to the mating bond and growing more comfortable with each other.

"I guess … you don't need to scent mark me anymore, do you?"

Sephiroth looked up from his book to his mate, who was fidgeting nervously with the wooden chocobo he had insisted on bringing. He marked his spot and set the book aside. "I don't _need _to, no. But would you like me to?"

Cloud glanced over at him, blushing shyly. "I liked it," he whispered. "But … is it okay?"

"I liked it too." Cloud had grown bolder in the weeks leading up to their mating, asking to be marked before he needed it and reciprocating touches, but that had stopped once they mated. Sephiroth had chalked it up first to the inconvenience the resulting mess would have been while they travelled, and then to him still being overwhelmed from the mating itself. He hadn't considered that Cloud would think it wasn't all right to continue as they had been now that it wasn't technically necessary. "It's perfectly okay if you still want to."

"It is?"

"Of course it is. It's something you're comfortable with, and it makes both of us feel good, so why wouldn't it be? Come here." He held out his arms and Cloud set the chocobo aside, then curled up in them.

"I asked Reno, but he didn't know if people still did it after they mate."

Sephiroth stroked Cloud's hair, then leaned down and kissed him gently. "It's okay to want sex without a purpose. I know that needing to be scent marked makes a good excuse, but you don't need an excuse to do something you want. I'm not going to push you, but going at your pace means that you have to accept that you have sexual needs and that it's okay to fulfill them. If that means asking me to leave the room so you can masturbate—I know you brought your dildos—"

"Reno made me!"

"Good. So if you need privacy, or if you want me to scent mark you, or if you want to share some intimate touches while we cuddle, then you need to say so. Depriving yourself isn't healthy."

Cloud fell silent, resting his head on his chest with his eyes closed. "It's scary," he eventually said. "Just _saying _… it's too embarrassing."

Sephiroth closed his eyes as well and thought for a few moments. "Do you think you would feel comfortable saying no to me? If I initiated some intimacy, and you didn't want it, would you be able to say no or push me away before you get scared? Or what if I just made some suggestions, instead of actually initiating?"

"Suggestions?"

"Mmm-hmm. For instance, I'm feeling a bit horny, as usual, and thinking about those dildos you brought got my imagination going. So I might say, 'Cloud, do you want to play with one of your dildos together?' And you could say, 'nah, don't feel like it,' in which case I might decide to masturbate later, which I don't mind doing at all. Or you could say 'yes, that sounds like fun.' Or maybe ask a question or make a suggestion of your own if you don't like my idea and want to do something different."

Cloud raised his head and stared at him with wide eyes. "Yes, that sounds like fun!"

He laughed and cupped Cloud's chin, lifting it up so they could kiss. "Then let's have some fun."

Sephiroth took it slowly, as he always did, but it seemed to him that Cloud had probably been fighting his urges for a while now. It didn't take long before their clothes were in a heap beside the couch, and they both looked over to the bedroom. He slipped his arm under Cloud's ass and hoisted him up, carrying him over to the dresser where he was pretty sure the dildos were hidden.

"Which one do you want to play with?" he asked when he found the three boxes stashed between some sweaters.

"The—the one that vibrates."

"Mmm, fancy. I like the colour of it. Matches your eyes."

Cloud laughed and turned around to see. "I never noticed that."

"Too busy having fun with it?" he teased as he sat on the bed and leaned against the headboard. He got Cloud turned around so he was leaning back against him, then turned the vibrator on at its lowest setting.

Cloud gave a soft moan as he ran the tip down his chest, then back up to circle his nipples. "I didn't think to compare the colour of my sex toys to my eyes," he protested mildly.

"I suppose that's fair," Sephiroth said as he kissed and nibbled at Cloud's earlobe. "You probably don't spend as much time thinking about how beautiful your eyes are as I do."

Cloud's legs shifted further and further apart as Sephiroth continued to tease him with the vibrator. When he slipped it between his legs and began to press it in, however, Cloud stiffened and shook his head. "No. No, I don't want that."

"Okay." Sephiroth immediately pulled it out and turned it off. "Do you want to stop?"

He shook his head again and turned around to face him. "No, I …" He reached down and gave Sephiroth's erection a gentle stroke. "I want you."

The lust he had been holding back surged at those words, but he forced himself to maintain his control. "Are you sure?"

Cloud nodded and shifted forwards, straddling his lap. "Can I? Like this?"

"You can." Sephiroth held Cloud steady as he raised himself up on his knees, then positioned his cock at his entrance. He couldn't hold back his moan of satisfaction as his mate sank down onto him, enveloping him in his warmth. "You feel so good."

Cloud hugged his shoulders tightly and his voice trembled slightly. "What do—how—"

"Try rolling your hips. Towards me, up just a tiny bit, and back. See if that feels nice." Sephiroth placed his hands on Cloud's slender hips and encouraged him to move in a gentle rocking motion. "That's it. Just like that."

Cloud learned quickly, and his movements grew more natural as he settled into the slow and steady rhythm that he always seemed to prefer. His breath came in short gasps and Sephiroth could feel his internal muscles twitching as his first peak rapidly approached. "Ah! It—I—"

Muscles clamped down on him as Cloud cried out, burying his face in his neck and hugging him like he was holding on for his life. When it passed, Cloud stilled and took several deep breaths.

"That's hard work," he commented.

Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh. "Do you want to switch positions?" He was certain his mate wasn't done yet. If that had been enough, he knew he would have come from it as well.

Cloud lifted his head up and nodded. "Can you—in that magazine—from behind?"

"I think that magazine was the best fucking thing I ever bought you." Sephiroth kissed Cloud deeply as he lifted him off his lap, then placed him on his hands and knees on the bed. He got up on his knees behind him and stroked his back, letting him feel his erection pressed against his legs, but not putting it in yet. "Like this? Is it comfortable for you?"

Cloud gripped a pillow and nodded, craning his neck to look back at him. "Yes." His eyes fluttered shut when Sephiroth pushed in and began to thrust gently. "Yes, yes, like that. I like it. I imagined—"

"What did you imagine?" His cock jerked eagerly at the thought of Cloud imagining them being together like this.

"I—I would be able to feel your hair on my back, and you'd hold me so carefully, and you'd say—you'd tell me—"

"What would I tell you? Would I tell you that it feels incredible being inside you?" Cloud nodded and squeezed his pillow tighter, working his hips to match Sephiroth's movements as he picked up speed. Sephiroth leaned forwards to let his hair drape over Cloud's back. "Would I tell you that I love you? And that you're beautiful and perfect? That being your mate is better than I could have possibly imagined?"

"Yes," Cloud hissed.

Sephiroth reached down and stroked Cloud's erection, kissing between his shoulder blades and whispering in his ear until sweat was trickling down their bodies despite the frozen landscape outside. "Come for me, baby. You feel so good."

Cloud bucked beneath him as he shot onto the blanket. His cries were muffled by the pillow. If they hadn't been, Sephiroth was fairly certain that the chocobos would think they had been attacked. Sephiroth pulled out and flipped Cloud over. He spread his legs immediately, inviting Sephiroth back in, and wrapped them around his hips as he entered.

"It feels incredible inside you," Sephiroth said between gasps for air. He slowed his thrusting again, letting Cloud feel his full length. "I love you. You're beautiful, and you're perfect, and being your mate is so much better than I could have possibly imagined."

Cloud's chest was heaving as well, but he managed to say, "I love—too."

Sephiroth kept up the steady pace for as long as he could, not wanting it to ever end. But when Cloud's moans grew desperate again, he couldn't hold out any longer. He pulled Cloud into his arms and pressed his nose into his scent gland as ecstasy overwhelmed him and he released himself deep inside his mate.

"Do you want—" he gasped, struggling to get the words out. This was entirely the wrong order to be doing this in, but he had to ask before it was too late. "Me to scent mark?"

"No," Cloud moaned. "Don't stop."

He groaned in relief and continued to rock his hips as Cloud quivered around him until he was completely soft. Only then did he allow himself to slip out. He collapsed beside Cloud and pulled him close. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." Cloud's voice was lazy and satisfied. "Saw stars."

Sephiroth laughed, recalling his promise from when they agreed to mate.

"Better than in heat."

"It was better for me too," he said. "It's better when you just want it and your body isn't making you."

Cloud nodded as he traced his finger over Sephiroth's chest. "I think you were right. I wanted an excuse. Can my excuse be that I want it?"

"That's the best excuse. It never gets old. And just so you know, I think you're only afraid to say no in hypothetical situations."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if people ask you what you'd do in a situation, you doubt yourself. But you didn't hesitate to tell me no when you realized you didn't want the vibrator. You told people no while you were dating. You spat in my face and screamed at me not to touch you when we met."

Cloud stiffened. "I'm so sorry."

"For what? That was so fucking brave of you, Cloud. You were terrified, but you did everything in your power to fight back, and that was damned impressive."

"But I spat on you. And kicked you."

"Got in a few good punches too. I deserved it. I didn't have much in the way of options, but I intentionally let you believe that I was going to rape you. You have nothing to apologize for."

Cloud gave a soft chuckle. "Well, I won't do it again."

"Oh good. It did hurt a rather lot. I won't ever give you a reason to."

Cloud yawned widely, but sat up and patted his shoulder. "Roll over."

Curious, Sephiroth did so, and Cloud gathered up his hair. He felt him separate it into three sections, then begin to twist them together. "You can braid?"

"Umm, if watching you counts. I've never tried before though. It'll probably be a mess."

"I don't braid it for fashion," he said. Something about the gesture filled Sephiroth's chest with warmth. It was a small thing, to be sure, but realizing that Cloud not only noticed how he braided his hair at night but also watched closely enough to try to learn how to do it for him made him feel so loved. He honestly did not care if it ended up a knotted mess in the morning as a result.

After a few false starts, Cloud got the braid worked to the end and reached for the hair tie that was on the bedside table. "Well, it was an attempt."

"And it was very much appreciated." Sephiroth rolled back over and wrapped his arms around Cloud when he lay down again. "Sleep well."

"You too." Cloud's eyes drifted shut as soon as the blanket was tucked around him, and not even a minute later, he began purring softly.

The fire had burnt down to low coals, and Sephiroth was just drifting off with Cloud's nude form still snuggled up in his arms when he heard something outside. He was instantly wide awake, and his arms tightened protectively as he listened carefully to what sounded like two or three chocobos walking, then he heard a male voice, though he couldn't make out the words.

"Cloud." He squeezed his mate's shoulder and pressed his finger to his lips when he stirred. "Shh. There's someone outside. Get your clothes on just in case while I go see what it is."

Cloud nodded silently but looked scared.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, and I'll protect you, no matter what. I just don't want you to be caught naked." He kissed Cloud's nose, then got out of bed and pulled on some pants while Cloud quickly found his clothes. "Stay here," he whispered. "You're safe."

The people were definitely getting closer as he slipped into the dark kitchen and took Masamune off the weapon rack, unsheathing it silently.

"Shit, smoke. There's someone here."

"Good, that means it'll be warm."

Sephiroth frowned, feeling fairly sure he recognized the voices. He unbolted the door and pulled it open, then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the approaching trio illuminated by moonlight reflecting off the snow.

"Everything's fine, Cloud. You can go back to bed," he shouted. "Fuck off, Genesis, I'm on my honeymoon."

"Believe me, this wasn't the plan." His fellow SOLDIER dismounted his chocobo and began untying the ropes that attached what looked like a makeshift sled to the saddle. "Balls blue yet?"

"The state of my balls is none of your concern. What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Sephiroth. Sorry to disturb you, but mind if we stay the night?"

Sephiroth recognized the other two as Cid and Barret from the Turks, and he wondered what they were doing with Genesis. It didn't seem like any of them actually cared what he answered, and Barret led the chocobos to the stable once they had finished untying the sled. He supposed he couldn't actually turn them away. Lazard had given his permission for them to stay at the cabin, but it was still for anyone in Shinra to use when they needed it.

"We'll leave it outside," Genesis said quietly. "The cold … it's better that way."

"I'll take the first shift," Cid replied.

Sephiroth's heart froze as they dragged the sled closer. Strapped to it was a human-sized wooden box. "Fuck …" he breathed, causing Genesis to glance up at him.

"Yeah, sorry. I was the closest unmated alpha, but it was too late by the time I got there."

"Don't tell Cloud," was all he could bring himself to say.

XXX

There was definitely something going on. Sephiroth had come back to bed after a short while, telling him that it was just some people from Shinra who needed to stay the night. But when he lay down, he had hugged Cloud so tightly that he could barely breathe and purred nonstop until morning. He'd never seen Sephiroth so upset before.

Cloud didn't know the two Turks who had arrived in the night, but he had gone on a few dates with Genesis, and he wasn't acting like himself. He wondered briefly if he was angry because he had chosen Sephiroth, but didn't really think that was it. He was friendly enough—all three of them were—but the conversation was strained and not even Sephiroth seemed willing to say more than a few words.

Even stranger was the fact that one of them was always outside. Cid wolfed down his breakfast, then went out so that Barret could come in and eat. He didn't know what they were doing out there, but he wanted to find out. After finishing his own breakfast, Cloud waited until Sephiroth was busy in the kitchen and the others weren't paying attention, then grabbed his coat and slipped outside.

He found Cid just around the corner of the cabin, sitting on a swept off bench and clutching a steaming thermos and a cigarette. If he had been judging by looks alone, he would have thought that both Cid and Barret were alphas. Cid was nearly as tall as Sephiroth, and he carried a spear that was as long as Masamune. Barret was even taller and solid muscle. He had lost an arm but replaced it with a gun that created bullets using the old materia technology that SOLDIERs sometimes used.

Cid glanced over at him, then went back to looking at a wooden box that they must have brought with them. "You ain't supposed to be out here."

"Why not?" Cloud asked.

"Because your alpha's overprotective. Don't take it personal. They all are. Can't help themselves. Have a seat." He held out the thermos when Cloud sat down next to him. "Tea?"

He took a sip and nearly spat it right back out. "That's not tea!" he exclaimed, coughing.

Cid just chuckled softly and took the thermos back. "Whiskey makes it better."

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?"

"Special occasion."

Somehow he didn't think it was a good special occasion. "Why're you out here?"

Cid jerked his head at the box. "Don't want him to be alone."

"Him?" Cloud gulped and looked more closely at the box. "Is that …"

"Sorry," the beta said quietly. "We tried. He didn't die alone, at least."

Cloud wasn't sure how long he sat there, frozen, just staring at the box. No, not a box. A coffin. An omega's coffin. After a while, he heard some talking around him, but he couldn't pay attention to it. When he was scooped up into warm arms, he didn't even think about it, just pressed his nose into Sephiroth's mating bond and suddenly he was sobbing.

His chest was aching by the time he stopped crying, but his stethoscope was in his ears, and he was listening to the steady sound of his mate's heartbeat. He didn't move, but glanced around the room. Genesis's sword and Cid's spear were gone, as were the extra boots and coats by the door. They must have left, taking the omega with them.

"What was his name?" he asked hoarsely.

"Denzel." Sephiroth wiped away some of his tears and handed him a tissue to blow his nose.

"What will happen to him?"

"He'll be buried in Midgar. We have a cemetery there for omegas we couldn't save."

"Would you have brought me there?"

Sephiroth made a strange noise that sounded like it was half growl, half purr. "Yes," he choked out.

He fell silent again, lost in his thoughts. He felt guilty. Why did he get to live while others died? Why did they have to die at all? Why did people get to treat them like their lives weren't worth anything? "It's not fair."

"No, it isn't."

"Why do we have to mate and alphas don't?"

"For the same reason you have heats," Sephiroth growled. "Because the monsters who made you didn't want omegas to be able to refuse. You were just things to them. They wanted the strongest alphas to be able to breed with as many omegas as possible, but they couldn't do that if the alphas also needed to mate. I know they called Meteor Fall a calamity, but personally, if it was intentional, I think whoever did it had the right idea. Shinra deserved to be destroyed."

"I … I think so too."

Sephiroth gave a big sigh and shifted down on the couch they were sitting on. There was a blanket sort of wrapped around him, and he straightened it out and tucked it up under his chin before kissing his forehead. "There's a story—far more fiction than fact, I'm certain—but there's a story that says that it was a SOLDIER who did it. He was the best SOLDIER they had made, and so naturally, Shinra wanted him to breed as much as possible. But he fell in love with an omega and let him reciprocate the mating bond. When the people in charge found out what he had done, they were furious. They had the omega killed, hoping it would negate the bond. Instead, it drove the SOLDIER insane, and he used an ancient power to summon a meteor to destroy the planet.

"He was stopped, of course, but it's said that geostigma was his revenge from beyond the grave. And the reason why omegas didn't get it was because he couldn't bring himself to kill anyone who reminded him of his beloved mate."

"But … if it had killed all the alphas, wouldn't the omegas have died anyway? And wouldn't a meteor falling on them kill them too?"

"And that's where the story falls apart and why it's best to stick to history books and science for facts, even if they're not as romantic."

Cloud felt himself smile. "I liked the story, though. Even if it doesn't make sense."

He lay quietly for a long time, thinking of how different things were now, and how far they still had to go. He thought of Reno—rescued by Vincent when he was just a baby from the people who were attempting to stone him and his mother to death. He thought of Denzel—cold in his coffin, but not alone anymore, and not forgotten. He thought of Cid and Barret—betas who had no reason to care, but had tried to save him anyway and were obviously grieving over the fact that they hadn't. He thought of Genesis—willing to mate with a complete stranger to save his life. He thought of Sephiroth—luring monsters to a village so he could trick them into giving up their omega.

He thought of himself—lucky enough to have found a mate who loved and protected him. And he thought of all the other omegas out there who weren't so lucky.

"Sephiroth, I want to help."

"With what?"

"I want to be a Turk."

"Okay. Tseng is in charge of hiring for the Turks, but if you're willing to put the work in, I don't see him refusing."

"And I want to know how to protect myself so I can protect other people."

Sephiroth just nodded. "Good. That's a necessary part of being a Turk. You'd have formal training through them, but if you'd like, I can also train you."

"With a sword?"

"That's my specialty, but I can teach you the basics in other areas as well."

He gave Sephiroth a tight squeeze. "I want to learn. I want to be somebody's hero too."

XXX

A/N: There is a time skip after this chapter. Whee.

I hope everyone is safe and not going too stir crazy if you're quarantined or able to be anti-social. Remember to change from your night pyjamas to your day pyjamas and brush your hair if it needs brushing. I'm doing well. I finished my replay of FF7 and now I'm sad. I hate it when games end. I will probably go back and see about killing Emerald and Ruby. I didn't do it before because I didn't want to be overpowered for the final fights. I was overpowered anyway. It was sad. Sorry, Sephiroth. You tried. In happier news, my spider friend, Chuck, turned out to be a Chuckette. She had babies and they're sooo cute. I think I'll move some of them outside when they're a bit bigger though. Even I have a limit to how many room spiders I can tolerate.

I also wrote like 30,000 words of hot garbage that will never see the light of day. If anyone has any requests, prompts, ideas, etc. that they'd like me to write, I make no promises, but you never know. It would be nice to get some more writing done while I have the time.


	14. Specialization: Rescue

Cloud left Dancer outside the bar that also claimed to be an inn with her lead wrapped loosely around the pole to give the appearance of her being tied. Gaia, he really hoped there wasn't an omega in a place like this. It wasn't even a proper town, really. Just a bunch of shacks outside the mines and, of course, a bar.

Loud, drunken voices came from inside, and the topic of conversation appeared to be the bartender's tits. "Seems like a lovely place," he muttered to Dancer. "Okay, be a good girl. Try not to bite anyone. Hopefully I'll be back soon."

He pushed open the door and wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale beer, smoke, and vomit. A large group of men clustered around some tables that were covered in glasses, telling crude stories and laughing while the bartender, a young woman with long brown hair, looked on with disgusted glare.

She barely looked at him when he walked in. "Sit anywhere you want."

He opted for the bar. The patrons were loud enough that he'd be able to listen for clues, and he _really _didn't want to engage with them unless he absolutely had to. He wished that the message that had arrived at Shinra had been less vague. He supposed the writer hadn't wanted to risk getting caught, but all it said was that there was someone here that they might be interested in. Was he even looking for an omega?

He noticed the bartender staring at him with wide eyes as he sat down, then her eyes slid to the Shinra logo on his jacket. She blinked and gave her head a small shake. Maybe she had been the one who sent the message. Did _she _need help? It wasn't exactly in his job description, but if she needed it, he could certainly get her somewhere better than this.

"What'll you have?" she asked.

"Umm, got anything in a bottle?" He was up to date on all his shots, but the beer tap looked absolutely foul.

She laughed and bent down, causing a deluge of comments about her ass to come from the tables. Her face was bright red and angry when she stood up again, but she didn't say anything as she wiped off a bottle of beer with a clean cloth. She set it on a coaster and pushed it over to him. "My personal stash."

"Thanks, then." When he lifted the bottle, he noticed a scrap of paper between it and the coaster.

_Cloud. Get a room for the night. I need to talk to you._

How the fuck did she know his name? Well, he supposed there was only one way to find out. He casually crumpled the paper and slipped it into his pocket. "Sign outside said you have rooms for rent. How much for the night?"

"Thousand gil."

Gross. He didn't even want to imagine what he'd get for so little. Probably lice. He pulled out his wallet.

"Slip her another thousand and she'll give you the 'special' room right next to hers if you know what I mean." One of the miners made a circle with one hand and thrust his index finger in and out.

"That so? Thanks for the tip." He pulled out two bills and pushed them across the bar to the bartender who looked like she wanted to break the man's neck. "I'll take the special room."

"It's just got a nicer bed," she snapped.

"Yeah, of course. I'm looking forward to having a nice, comfortable _sleep_."

One of the drunks wolf-whistled and Cloud rolled his eyes. He was so bad at playing along with shit like this. This may have been a better assignment for Reno. Nothing ever fazed him when it came to being crude. He downed his beer as quickly as he could manage and put another thousand gil on the counter. He figured the poor woman deserved a decent tip for putting up with the assholes.

"Thanks for that. I'm beat, so can I grab my stuff and head to the room?"

"Yeah, stable's 'round the back if you need it."

The stable was actually slightly nicer than the bar, but he hosed the stall down anyway and scrubbed out the water trough as best he could before refilling it. "Only eat _your _food," he said as he got some out of the saddlebags. "Don't lie down. And don't touch anything you don't have to. And try not to breathe too much."

Dancer kwehed and flapped her wings.

"Oh, all right, you can breathe if you must. Here's to hoping we don't actually have to stay the night." He gave her a hug, then grabbed his pack.

"Upstairs, second door on the left. Key's in the door." The bartender didn't look at him as she poured another round for the miners.

Cloud sat in the middle of the floor with his pack. If this was the nice room, he shuddered to think what the others were like. It reminded him of Nibelheim, but with a flowery pattern on the stained quilt instead of leaves. He pulled out the newly developed portable radio he had been assigned and put the earbuds in, then flicked the switch.

"Hello, hello? Sephiroth, you listening?" He spoke quietly but didn't think he needed to worry too much about being overheard.

"Since the moment you left my sight." Just the sound of his mate's voice was enough to make him relax a little. "How're you doing?"

"I guess it's a good thing you have the solar charger. Something's definitely up here. I think the bartender's the one who sent the message. I don't know if she needs help or if there's an omega or something else. I think she's going to meet me after she closes the bar. But, Sephiroth, it's fucked up. She knew my name."

"What? And you don't know who she is?"

"No, I have no clue."

"I don't like that … do you want to abort and work out a new plan?"

"No, I'll meet with her. It doesn't feel like she's setting me up, but stay close, okay?"

"All right. If things go south, hit the emergency transmitter. Or just scream. Fairly sure I'm close enough that I'll be able to hear. You're in the two-storey place, right?"

"Yeah, second floor." He stood up and went to the window.

"Okay, I see you. Keep me updated."

"Will do. Love you."

"Love you too."

Cloud set the radio aside, then opened the window and sat down on the ledge to wait. He could pick up a slight hint of Sephiroth's scent on the breeze, and he knew that being able to see him would make his alpha feel better about being separated.

A few hours later, he heard the bartender kicking everyone out. It didn't take her long, and it soon grew quiet. The stairs creaked, and moments later there was a tap on the door before she slipped in.

"You're from Shinra?" she said.

Cloud stood and shut the window in case someone was outside, but remained in front of it. "Yes. How do you know my name?"

"I'm sorry, I—you don't recognize me?"

"Should I?"

"I … I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockheart. My father was the mayor of Nibelheim."

Cloud backed up so fast that the window rattled when he crashed into it. He scrambled for his transmitter and held his thumb over the button.

"Please, I didn't mean to scare you, I just—I'm so, so sorry."

"What the fuck do you want with me?"

"Nothing!" She held up her hands like she was surrendering. "I swear, I had no idea that you'd—I just hoped that someone would come. That Shinra would help."

"Why would Shinra help you?"

"Not me, there's—they've got an omega here. They keep him in the mines." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I've never seen him, but they talk about him sometimes when they're drunk. They treat him worse than we did you. I hoped … I hoped that Shinra could save him."

Cloud tilted his head, frowning. "Why do you think that Shinra would do that?"

"Because that day, before the SOLDIER took you away—when he took you into your house to check if you were a virgin, I snuck around the outside. I felt so badly for you, Cloud, you've got to believe me, but there was nothing I could do. But I snuck around and hid outside your window. I heard what he told you. About Midgar and how they buy omegas to try to keep them safe. When I realized that there was an omega here, I knew I had to do something. I had to at least try to make up for not being brave enough to help you. I didn't know for sure about Shinra, but I just hoped he hadn't been lying. I didn't know who else I could ask for help."

He sighed and relaxed his grip on the transceiver. "He didn't lie. Can you take me to where the omega is?"

"You'll help him?"

"Of course." Cloud pulled one of his cards out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "Tell me everything you know about the situation."

XXX

When Tifa finished talking, Cloud stared at the notes he had taken, apparently thinking hard. She looked at the card he had given her.

Neo Shinra Electric Power Co.  
**Cloud  
**Turks Division  
Field Officer, Spec. Rescue

He specialized in rescue? Did that mean this was his job? What on Gaia had happened after he left Nibelheim? The SOLDIER who had taken him had said he needed to mate. That he only had a few heats left. That had been years ago though, so shouldn't he have an alpha? She had tried to learn a bit about alphas and omegas since leaving Nibelheim, and everything she'd heard said that a mated omega had to stay with his alpha all the time. That they were basically subservient to alphas.

"If they're not planning to sell him, then taking him is pretty much the only option …" Cloud appeared to be talking mostly to himself. "But if he's being treated as badly as you fear, I don't want to waste time setting up something like what Sephiroth did to get me."

"What?"

Cloud glanced up, seemingly surprised that she was listening. "The SOLDIER. He set the monsters on Nibelheim on purpose so he could make you guys give me to him."

Tifa sat there stunned. "He set it all up?"

"Yeah." He paused and laughed softly. "He heard a rumour about an omega, but didn't have enough money to buy me."

"He …"

"Anyway, I think my best bet will be to just go in and take him, to hell with whether they want to let me or not. If they realize you told me about him, you might be in danger. You can come with us if you want. We can get you as far as Midgar."

She nodded, grateful for the offer. "I won't miss this place."

"What? But the atmosphere is so quaint and the people are so lovely. All right, stick with me and do exactly as I say until we get the omega to safety." He picked up a small machine and put something in his ears, then held the machine to his mouth. "Hello? Hey, yeah, there's an omega here. It sounds bad. I'm going for an immediate removal, no negotiations."

Tifa stared wonderingly. He was talking to another person and there were no wires that she could see. That was amazing! They didn't have technology like that in the boonies, that was for sure.

"It's complicated, but the bartender's from Nibelheim. That's how she knew me. No, I'm fine. Well, not fine, but fine enough. She's going to come with us, so keep your shit together. She's at risk if they find out she helped. Did I not just tell you to keep your shit together? She never hurt me."

It had to be his mate he was talking to. She'd heard of how protective alphas were of their mates. Maybe she'd be better off taking her chances with the miners.

"He's being held in the mine. Tifa knows approximately where, and she's going to show me the way. I need you to make a big fucking distraction on the northwest side of town. I want it to draw out anyone in the mine and give me time to sneak in and get him. Tifa says those buildings we saw are abandoned, so maybe a fire? If it goes smoothly, we'll regroup at the rendezvous point. Okay, yep, that timing sounds good. Good luck, we'll move on your signal. Love you." Cloud took the things out of his ears and put the machine in his pack, then pulled out a hand-drawn map and spread it out on the floor.

"We're here, the mine entrance is here. It faces east. That way is north. The rendezvous point is here. If we get separated, go south until you hit the stream, then follow it in the direction of the water flow and you'll come across a tree that was struck by lightning after about ten minutes. It's easy to spot. Wait there for me."

"Understood. Was that your mate you were talking to? Is it okay to ask?"

"Yes to both questions. Now, in fifteen minutes, we're going to go to the stable and wait there. Once my mate makes his move, we're going to need to be fast. Follow behind me, keeping out of sight and as quiet as possible. Once we're in the mine, I'll need you to take the lead and show me the way. Depending on the omega's condition, our escape plans may change. For the time being, it's get in, grab him, go out the way we went in, then directly east until we're out of sight of the town, then south to the rendezvous point."

"Got it. Can I pack up some things before we go? I don't have much."

"Yes, as long as nobody will notice you."

She gave a quick nod and hurried to her room next door. She grabbed her savings and tucked the cash into her bra, then put on her mother's locket and gathered up a few clothes and necessities into a bag. She couldn't believe it was really Cloud. Of all the people who might have turned up in response to her message, it had to be the boy her father had tortured. His screams from whenever her father took the switch and left the house still haunted her nightmares.

After the SOLDIER took him away, everyone had been so angry that they hadn't been able to sell him. It was sickening. They all believed he was being raped by that SOLDIER, and they were just upset because they hadn't profited off of it. Her father most of all. When he found out that SOLDIER fees were actually fairly reasonable—only meant to cover some of the costs of dispatching a SOLDIER—and that they just waived them if a town couldn't afford it, he had flown into a rage like she'd never seen before. She had run away that night, unable to cope any longer.

Her plans of making it to Midgar had failed miserably, but travelling from place to place and finding work where she could was manageable enough. She had intended to leave this dump as soon as possible, but then someone had drunkenly mentioned going to fuck the omega, and it was like she was back in Nibelheim all over again. Only this time she refused to be a bystander.

She double-knotted the laces on her boots and pulled her leather gloves on. She could hold her own in a fight if she needed to defend Cloud while he helped the omega.

"Ready to go?"

"Let's do this," she said with determination.

Cloud led the way downstairs, moving silently. How he even knew that there was a back door was beyond her, but given the details on the map he had shown her, she supposed he must have spent some time scouting the town out. She locked the door behind her and followed him to the stable.

The biggest chocobo she had ever seen was in the first stall, and Cloud shushed it when it noticed their approach.

"Sneaky time, Dancer," he whispered.

The bird went completely still while Cloud removed a sword from a bundled-up blanket and strapped it to his back.

"Can you carry this?" He traded her bag of clothes for a small pack with a large red cross on it. While Tifa fitted it snugly to her back so it wouldn't move around and make noise, Cloud wrapped a utility belt around his waist, then saddled the chocobo and put everything else on its back.

When he was ready, he went to the door and waited. The chocobo followed him silently. Not five minutes later, there was a yell.

"Fire! Fire!" A bell began clanging loudly, and Cloud turned to her.

"That's us. Dancer, go to Birdy, don't get caught."

The chocobo bumped its head against Cloud's chest, then ran off, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Cloud didn't look to see if she was following as he moved swiftly in the direction of the mines, keeping to the shadows. There was yelling from all over as the town woke up, but nobody noticed them in the chaos. They ducked behind a large trolley and watched as men came running out of the mine entrance carrying buckets. Several appeared to be fastening their pants.

"Okay, let's hope that was everyone." Cloud looked around carefully, then darted in. Tifa followed hot on his heels.

The lights were on, but it was quiet as a grave in the mine. Tifa took the lead and followed the signs that pointed to equipment storage. The omega was supposedly kept somewhere in there. They stopped to listen at each corner but otherwise moved fast. When they arrived, Tifa balked at the size of the area.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where from here."

"This way. I can smell him." Cloud pushed in front of her and ran flat out. He skidded to a halt at a sliding metal door that was locked with a padlock and chain. He didn't even pause before unclipping a pair of bolt cutters from his belt and cutting through it with a small grunt of effort. "Fuck," he whispered when he slid the door open. "Escape plans have changed."

He ran forward, allowing Tifa to see what was in the room. She reeled in horror and only just managed to turn away before the contents of her stomach splattered across the ground.

The omega was chained to the wall by his neck. He was naked and covered in semen and other fluids. They were leaking out of every hole in his body. He had been curled up in a ball, probably trying to keep warm on the bare concrete floor, but when he noticed them, he rolled onto his back and spread his legs.

"… in your pack. Hey! Pay attention! I don't have time to babysit you. You're not the one who needs help." Cloud had the bolt cutters out again and was cutting the chain from the omega. "There's a blanket in your pack. Get it out."

Her hands shook as she fumbled with the zipper. In the top section, there was a thin, but soft blanket. Cloud snatched it from her and spread it over the omega. He didn't have any testicles. Someone had cut them off. She fought not to throw up again.

"It's okay, sweetheart, you're safe now. We're not going to hurt you. Can you smell me? Yeah, that's it. I'm like you. I'm safe, and I'm going to take care of you."

"What—What can I do?" She forced herself to calm down and focus. She had to help.

"Blue bottle in your pack. There's a tab on the side, pull it out, then shake the bottle for thirty seconds."

Tifa did as she was told, marvelling as the bottle began to warm up. Wondering how it worked was far better than thinking about what had been done to the omega. Cloud kept him mostly covered, but moved the blanket around as he checked his injuries. He talked to the omega nonstop, assuring him over and over that he was safe now.

"Okay."

"Come around to his head and pour it into his mouth slowly. Lift him up a little so you don't choke him. This is Tifa. I know she's kind of scary, but she's not going to hurt you, I promise. This drink is going to help warm you up. It might make you feel a bit strange, but it's okay. You're safe. It has some medicine in it that will help you."

She lifted the omega's head as gently as she could and rested it in her lap. He didn't seem to really know what was going on, but he began drinking when she held the bottle to his lips.

"There you go, that's good. Drink it all up. The bottle has painkillers and stimulants keep him from going into shock." Cloud finished whatever emergency first aid he was doing and tucked the blanket around him. "I think he's stable enough to move, so as soon as he finishes it, we'll go."

"Will you now?"

They both looked up to see a bunch of men in the doorway. A miner named Herman, who was a regular at the bar, was at the head of the group with a sledgehammer resting on his shoulder.

"Yes," Cloud said as he stood and planted himself in front of them with his arms crossed. "We will. Keep him drinking, Tifa. Gentle touches to his head and face if he doesn't try to move away from them."

"Okay."

Cloud didn't seem worried, despite all of the men holding pickaxes and hammers. Cloud had a sword, but they were vastly outnumbered.

The miners laughed at Cloud's statement. "You think we're going to let you walk out of here with our omega? We paid good money for him."

Cloud just shrugged. "You can let us or not, I don't care, but we're going to go as soon as he finishes that bottle."

"Or maybe we'll just kill you and keep Tits as a second come-dump. Not like anyone would come looking for either of you here."

"Her name's Tifa, not Tits. And it seems a bit of a waste to kill me. I'm an omega too, so you could triple your fun."

"You're an omega?"

"Yeah." Cloud tilted back his head to show them what she guessed was his scent glands. What was he playing at? Surely he wasn't overconfident to the point of stupidity. Was he trying to buy time? "How's that's that bottle coming, Tifa?"

She blinked a couple times, then looked down. The omega was still latched onto it and drinking steadily. He must have been so dehydrated. "About a third left."

"Fantastic. I should probably mention that I'm mated. That's the scar on my neck. And alphas really don't like it when people threaten their mates."

His confidence was definitely throwing the men off-balance, but Herman laughed anyway. "Your mate isn't here now, is he?"

"Oh shit, I hadn't noticed. I wonder where he could possibly be?"

Someone else snorted with laughter. "Probably lost in the mines, searching for his fucktoy."

"Funny fact you might be interested in: an alpha always knows where his mate is. It's fucking impossible to hide from them. Even when you're pissed off and wish they'd just fuck right off for a while, they pop up, wondering what they did wrong and how to fix it. I could be knocked out and carried in a sack of rotting fish through a maze, backtracking all over the place, and my mate would follow the shortest route to me like there was a gold-paved road showing the way. And another funny fact: technology these days is pretty neat. I pressed this little guy as soon as you showed up." Cloud held up a small black disc. "It let my mate know that some monsters dressed up like human beings were bothering me."

"The bottle's done, Cloud."

"Perfect. We're going to go now."

"You think you can fight us?"

"A few of you, at least. I'm not going to bother, though. My new friend is more important than proving I can fight, and I believe I gave you fair warning about my mate. You could have left. Sephiroth, if you'd please clear the door." Cloud turned back to them as a primal roar shook the room. There was just a blur of silver and black, followed by red as something began tearing into the men. Cloud knelt, ignoring the screaming, and very gently lifted the omega up. "There we go. Good job drinking all that. Let's get you out of here."

By the time Tifa stood up, the mine was silent once more, and the same silver-haired man who had come to Nibelheim stood in the doorway, wiping blood off his impossibly long sword. "Do you need help carrying him?" he asked.

"I'm fine. You're nice and light, so it's no problem at all. My name is Cloud. Can you tell me yours?"

The omega's head wobbled a bit as he attempted to look up at the man carrying him. "Bitch."

Cloud's mate stumbled as he walked, and he looked back at them in horror. She felt as appalled as he looked. They really had seen him as something completely subhuman.

Cloud, on the other hand, didn't even falter. "Oh, I see. That's really not a very nice name at all. I think they called you that to be mean and make you feel bad. Hey, what if we gave you a new name to celebrate a new start away from all of this?"

"New … name?"

"Yes. Would you like me to think of one?"

The omega bobbed his head in a sort of nodding motion.

"Okay, let me see what I can come up with."

The fire appeared to be out when they exited the mine. Sephiroth wasn't trying to hide at all, and he still held his sword ready to use. When someone noticed them and shouted, the alpha spoke calmly in a voice that carried far.

"By order of the Turks, we are taking this omega into the custody of the Neo Shinra Electric Power Company. Anyone who feels like arguing can take it up with me. I haven't worked off anywhere near enough anger."

The approaching people paused, taking note of the deadly sword, and Sephiroth whistled loudly. While the townsfolk were dithering, with a relievedly large number wondering what was going on and where an omega had come from, two chocobos came running up the road. One she recognized as Dancer, and the second, slightly smaller one, Tifa figured must belong to Sephiroth.

"This is my friend, Dancer," Cloud was saying to the omega, who was looking rather alarmed. "She's a chocobo, and she's very nice to people I like. Fortunately, I like you a lot, so I expect you'll become good friends with her too. She's going to help us get back to a safe place where we can take care of you and get you feeling better. Would you like to go for a ride with me?"

"Stay with you."

"Okay, let's stay together." Dancer dropped down in front of Cloud and spread her wings out so he was able to simply swing his leg over and settle himself in the saddle. He didn't need to touch the reins at all, and on his command, she stood up very carefully.

As soon as Cloud was up, Sephiroth leapt onto the other bird's back. "With me, girl." He held out his hand to her, and when she took it, he swung her up behind him.

"Her name's Tifa," Cloud said as the chocobos started walking. It seemed like no one was going to try and stop them again, and she supposed they had to go slowly so they wouldn't risk hurting the omega more. It was still slightly terrifying to have her back exposed to them, but Sephiroth kept his sword drawn and an eye out behind them.

"What do you think of being called Luke?" Cloud asked when they were a little bit further away.

"Luke?"

"Yeah. See Sephiroth over there? He's my mate. I love him more than everything else in the whole world put together. His mom was an omega like us, and her name was Lucretia. I never got to meet her, but I've heard so many wonderful things about her, and I admire her very much. She was brave and smart and loving and so very, very strong, just like you. I think that Luke would be a fitting name for you."

"Not strong … not brave …"

"You are. You're so strong. Look at you, you're a survivor. You survived such awful, awful things. You had to be brave and strong to do that."

Sephiroth turned to look at his mate and the boy cradled in his arms. "My mother would be so proud if you were named after her, and I would be honoured."

The moonlight was bright enough that Tifa could see the tears running down the omega's cheeks. "Would like … Luke."

"It's so nice to meet you, Luke. You're going to be okay. I promise."

XXX

A/N: I don't want to whine about being lonely, so I'm going to update you on my foster children. Spidey Starman, space explorer, likes to journey across my (star-patterned) curtains and back again every day. Banana Man likes yellow and orange, and hangs out exclusively either on my dust cloth (yellow) or hoodie (orange). Fami appears to want to play the Switch, but is sadly too small to press the buttons. I think he wants me to get Animal Crossing. Maybe he heard about the tarantula island.


	15. Luke

The camp they arrived in after travelling for about an hour was well set up. It looked like they had been there for a while. As soon as they stopped, Cloud began issuing orders. Sephiroth was given the task of putting a plastic sheet under some towels in the bed, and Tifa filled two large pots with water and got them heating on a camp stove after lighting the lanterns that had been stored under a tarp.

Cloud set Luke down on an inflatable pad and knelt at his side. "Hey, Luke. How're you doing? We're in our camp where you'll be safe. I know you're tired and probably just want to go to sleep, but is it okay if I have another look at you and clean you up a little bit? Good. Sephiroth, can you mix up a protein drink for Luke? I think that will help you feel a bit better after all that medicine I made you drink. You can drink it nice and slow while I clean you up, and then we'll give you some warm clothes and tuck you into bed."

Luke appeared to be following every word Cloud said, and though he was still crying, he nodded his head from time to time.

When the water was warm, Tifa brought it over and was put in charge of rinsing the cloth every time it got dirty and dipping it back into the clean, warm water. When it got too dirty, she switched it for a new one. Sephiroth sat with Luke's head in his lap and gave him the protein drink like she had done earlier. He was making a strange crooning noise that the little omega seemed to like.

She had never seen anyone touch another person with such care and delicacy as Cloud did as he wiped away semen, blood, feces, and urine, talking the whole while. Luke had a dark scar where his testicles should have been, and blood dribbled out of both his penis and anus. It was embarrassing, but she kept having to wipe away her own tears the way Sephiroth was doing for Luke. She caught Sephiroth watching her one time and he gave her a small smile.

"Hang in there," he whispered, interrupting the noise he was making for Luke. "You're doing well."

"Yeah, Tifa's really helping us out, isn't she? She's sad because you've been treated so cruelly, but she's being really brave by helping. Now, you're going to feel a little poke in your arm. It's a medicine called antibiotics, and it's very important that you have it. You have some injuries that got dirty, and so we need the antibiotics to help them get better. The poke will only hurt for a second. Are you ready?"

Sephiroth had one-handedly taken out what Cloud needed and set it out for him as he talked. Luke gave a small whimper when Cloud injected him, but Sephiroth made his crooning noise a little louder and gently stroked his head.

"There you go, sweetheart." Cloud slipped a pill into Luke's mouth, then helped him drink some water. "You're going to feel sleepy soon, so let's get you dressed and into bed. There's absolutely nothing to worry about. We're going to protect you and keep you safe all night long."

The pair was quick and efficient as they got Luke to pee, then dressed him in warm clothes that were much too big for his near skeletal frame. Their tent was decently sized, and they lay Luke down in the middle, tucked into the seemingly endless blankets they had pulled out of compression bags and fluffed up.

"Luke will sleep between us," Cloud explained. "He'll feel safest that way. Do you mind sleeping on my other side? Sephiroth needs to be at the edge so he can get up quickly if he needs to protect us from something."

"That's fine. Would it be better if I kept watch?"

"No, you need to sleep too. The chocobos take shifts watching at night."

"How smart _are_ chocobos? I thought they were just basic pack animals."

"Way smarter than pack animals. Dancer and Birdy, in particular, have been bred for strength and intelligence. I know I talk to Dancer like she's a person, and she's probably not that smart, but I think she understands most of what I say."

When Luke was settled in the tent, Cloud came out and stripped off his pants before splashing his legs with the leftover water. "Oh, sorry," he said when he noticed Tifa's blush. "Luke peed on me while we were riding."

"Oh, I didn't realize. That's why you put down the plastic sheet?"

"Yeah. I don't know if it was a one-time thing, but some towels are a lot easier to swap out and clean than all the bedding, and I don't want him to feel embarrassed for something he can't help. Incontinence is pretty common in people who have been abused this badly."

Cloud pulled on a clean pair of pants, then Tifa followed him into the tent. Sephiroth had Luke's head pillowed against his bare chest, and a purring noise died off as they entered.

"He's asleep," Sephiroth whispered. "I don't know if he even needed that pill."

"Well, it'll probably help keep him asleep for a decent while." Cloud sighed as he lay down and pressed himself up against Luke's back. "Get cozy, Tifa. It's been a helluva day."

It had certainly been that. She had no clue what time it was, other than late, and as soon as her head hit the thin pillow she'd been allotted, she fell sound asleep.

XXX

The tent was empty when Tifa woke, and someone had tucked some extra blankets around her. Considering that they were camping, the bed had been surprisingly comfortable, and she felt well-rested. That probably meant that she had slept way too late.

Outside, Sephiroth was sitting on a stump with Luke in his lap, still wrapped up in a blanket. The towels the omega had slept on were drying on a line.

"Good morning," Sephiroth said. He was spooning what looked like porridge into Luke's mouth. "There's breakfast and coffee on the stove. Help yourself."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sleep so late. Can I help with anything? Where's Cloud?"

"Goodness, she's busy in the morning," Sephiroth said to Luke with a smile. "Go ahead and eat. We've got things under control. Cloud is just dictating his report of what happened yesterday."

She poured a cup of coffee and had taken a bowl to get some porridge when she noticed that Sephiroth was scraping the last few bits out of the bowl he was feeding to Luke. "Does he need some more?"

"Are you still hungry, Luke? I don't want you to eat so much that you feel sick, but I don't want you going hungry, either."

Luke gave a noncommittal wobble of his head, and Sephiroth shrugged. "Maybe one more scoop, if you don't mind. With some berries and a little bit of sugar."

Tifa fixed the bowl for Luke, then made hers the same way. There was still quite a bit left in the pot. "Have you all eaten?"

"Cloud has. I'll eat when he gets back and can take Luke."

"Oh, I can take—"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No. He understands instinctively that we won't hurt him and that he's safe with us. He can't know that with a beta, and given his experiences … for now, either Cloud or I will stay with him at all times."

"Oh … I understand. I ... I'm really sorry," she whispered. "About … about Cloud."

"You were a kid. What could you have done?"

Tifa looked up in surprise.

"Yes, I remember you. I wouldn't have sent you to a brothel, by the way. If I had been wrong about there being an omega, I'd have left you a ways outside the village and pointed the way back. I'm sorry I had to scare you, though."

She shrugged. "I'm glad my father cared enough about me not getting raped to be willing to give up Cloud. I mean, he thought he would be, which is awful, but it got him out and into a better situation. Was he okay?"

Sephiroth sighed and held another spoonful of porridge to Luke's mouth. "It took a long time. Things are better for him now, but he still struggles. There are memories he'll probably never be able to let go of."

"Cloud is hurt?"

Sephiroth tilted his head down to look at the small omega. "Cloud was treated very badly, yes. He knows what it's like to be hurt and afraid, but he's the bravest person I know."

"Wasn't scared."

"No, Luke. He was very scared. Trust me, I know when my mate is scared, and yesterday in the mine with you, he was scared, even after he knew I was there. He knew that he was strong enough to protect you and keep them from hurting you more, but he was so scared that he hadn't been in time to help you. But at the same time, he's also brave, and he does his best to not let being afraid stop him from helping people. It took him a long time to be able to do what he does now. For a long time, he was scared, and he was angry, and he was sad, but he kept on fighting to become who he wanted to be. It's going to take you a long time to get better too, but you will, I promise. Just like Cloud. It won't be easy, but it never is. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to cry. That doesn't mean that you're not brave. You and Cloud are both so brave in ways that Tifa and I can never hope to understand."

Tifa blinked back some tears. She had to agree given what she had seen yesterday. Cloud was definitely the bravest person she had met, even if she hadn't realized it in Nibelheim.

"I'd like to ask you to help me break down the camp and pack up once Cloud gets back, but until then, feel free to wander around a bit. It's a pretty area."

"Okay, thanks." Tifa took the empty bowl from Sephiroth and placed both of them next to the one Cloud must have used. It _was_ a pretty area, and she followed a little trail down a slight incline, taking in the sights. She loved seeing new places and was excited to have the opportunity to finally go to Midgar. Part of her could still hardly believe she was actually going to go there.

She heard someone speaking to her right and paused.

"I'm concerned about the possibility of him going into abandonment shock if he's left alone, so Sephiroth and I will maintain 24-hour contact until we're able to rendezvous with another team. I estimate a travel time of three days to the Gongaga airstrip riding tandem with Luke and Tifa."

A loud wark interrupted Cloud's report, and he stopped talking. "What's up, Dancer?"

Tifa backed up hurriedly as the chocobo appeared from behind a rock and walked towards her, wings held out menacingly.

"It's just me, sorry!"

"Oh, Tifa, didn't see you there. Calm down, Dancer." Cloud appeared as well and the chocobo relaxed. "Sorry, she gets a bit overprotective when we've got an injured omega with us. Tifa's our friend too, you silly bird."

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, Sephiroth said I could wander around, but—are you okay?" Cloud's eyes were red and puffy.

"What? Oh, yeah, fine, I just needed to have a bit of a cry before I could handle the report. Not exactly professional to make some poor secretary have to decipher what I'm trying to say while blubbering. That might be worse than making them read my handwriting. And no worries about eavesdropping, it was just my report of what happened yesterday and what the plan is. Nothing confidential. I only left the camp so Luke wouldn't have to hear it. He doesn't need to share my concerns, and he definitely didn't need to see me cry."

Cloud gave her a small smile, then put the small recorder he was holding in his pocket. "Good enough for now." He turned back and scrambled down a little drop-off to a spring, where he splashed some water on his face. "Bit better?" he asked.

"Yep. He'll never know."

"Good. Maybe Sephiroth won't notice, either. He hates not being able to be there for me when I'm upset. Head back together? Sephiroth's probably starving by now, and he gets hangry."

Tifa gave a nod. "Can I ask, what's abandonment shock?"

"Oh, that can happen if a badly abused omega is rescued, then left alone again. They finally feel safe, but then if the source of that sense of safety disappears before they've had a chance to recover and fully process what's happening, their minds can just shut down, sometimes irreversibly."

"Was that … could that have happened to you?"

Cloud gave a considering hum. "Probably not. I was in much better shape than Luke, both physically and mentally. I could fully understand what was happening and make my own decisions about it, and I could think in terms of the future. But for the first couple of days, Sephiroth stayed within my sight when he wasn't in physical contact with me. Just in case."

XXX

"He's amazing," Tifa said quietly as she listened to Cloud explain the pills he wanted Luke to start taking that would prevent his heat and allow him to heal without interference. Despite most certainly knowing far better what sort of treatment he needed, Cloud would take the time and explain everything before allowing Luke to decide whether or not he wanted it. The poor omega was still so confused and scared, but Cloud's gentle explanations kept him steady and calm as they rode south.

"No need to tell me that," Sephiroth said. "He's one of the best field officers in the Turks. In five years, he's rescued more omegas from worse situations than most Turks do in their entire careers."

"Really?"

"When he first started working, he was assigned to me, obviously. He was supposed to go on my missions and do whatever work he could, wherever I needed to go as a SOLDIER. It usually ended up being public relations, working to dispel stereotypes and improve the perception of omegas. It's an important part of the job, don't get me wrong, but it's generally not why people want to be Turks. And then we saw him on a rescue and that hierarchy quickly got swapped. I go on his missions as support. His skills are wasted if he's stuck following me around."

"He was incredible yesterday. He didn't hesitate at all when he saw how bad it was, but it wasn't like he was cold, either."

"He has an intimate understanding of what it's like to be abused, and he's good at empathizing. But it also takes a lot to overwhelm him, and he's able to adapt quickly to unexpected situations and come up with plans on the fly."

"And you don't mind? That his work has priority?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "Not at all. I'm so proud of him and everything he's accomplished."

Tifa fell silent, pondering the steadfast love the man showed for his mate. How wrong they had been in thinking that alphas and omegas were just sex-crazed, violent animals. Sephiroth was a bit scary; the way he had slaughtered those miners was, quite frankly, terrifying. But he was also kind, even to her. Even though she had no right to expect anything but hatred and contempt from him.

"Do the Turks hire betas?" she asked.

"They do. Interested?"

"Maybe. The more I learn, the more … I want to help. Any way I can."

"I can make some introductions when we get to Midgar if you'd like."

XXX

Luke was walking a bit by the morning of their third day of travel, and he had fed himself dinner the night before, albeit rather clumsily. He had healed enough that he was able to sit upright on the chocobo without pain, and so he rode in front of Sephiroth, who was able to easily see over his head, unlike Cloud. Tifa rode behind Cloud on Dancer. She didn't have the quite same height advantage as Sephiroth, but it was nice to have a forward view that was only occasionally blocked by some blond spikes after two days of staring at the alpha's back.

"Luke, could I ask you a question about your situation before we met? You don't have to let me if you don't want to think about it." Cloud directed Dancer over so she was right next to Birdy, and he held Luke's hand in his own.

Luke thought long and hard before replying. "You can."

"Thank you so much. That's really brave of you. What I want to ask is about the miners. When we were talking, one of them said that they paid for you. Is that true? You weren't born in that town, but were bought by them? It's okay, I don't mind being a thief."

Sephiroth looked at them curiously, and Tifa wondered as well. Why did Cloud want to know?

Luke nodded his head. "It's true."

"So you grew up in a different town?"

"Don't know if it was a town … I never went outside."

"What was it like? Can you describe it to me?"

Sephiroth began purring for Luke, who was looking a bit distressed.

"You don't have to say," Cloud said, though he looked like he very much wanted to know the answer.

"It was called the Honeybee Inn. I lived in the dormitory."

"A dormitory? With other people?"

Luke bobbed his head. "Other omegas."

"I see. Thank you. That was really helpful."

"It was?"

"Yes, you've given me a lot to think about. I appreciate it." Cloud gave Luke's hand another squeeze, then let Dancer move a bit further away.

"What was that about?" Tifa asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I need to think."

XXX

Cloud nearly dropped the reins when he saw a familiar head of hair as they approached the small airstrip that had been constructed outside the town of Gongaga as part of Shinra's efforts to expand their mobility. "Hang on tight, Tifa!" he said, then clucked to Dancer.

Tifa's grip grew rib-crunchingly tight when Dancer sprinted forwards at her top speed.

"Reno!" he shouted, catching the redhead's attention. Dancer knew exactly where he was going, and screeched to a halt in front of him. He jumped off, accidentally kicking Tifa in the process, and threw himself at his best friend. "How are you? It's been ages!"

Reno thumped his back as Rude looked on with an amused expression. "I'm fantastic! Finally got my license."

"Your license?" Cloud looked over at the small plane that was waiting for them. "Shit. You're flying us? Should I be afraid?"

"Hell yes, you should! I oughta kick you out over the middle of the ocean for making me come all the way out here." Reno sobered a bit and looked over to where Sephiroth and Luke were approaching at a much more reasonable speed. "It's bad?"

Cloud took a deep breath and nodded. "Really bad. I'm worried about him and what sort of permanent damage might have been done. He's on the heat inhibitors for now, but …"

"We'll help him, so don't worry about what you can't change. No matter what, he's better off than before. Who's the chick?"

"Oh, shit, sorry, Tifa." He turned and offered her a hand as she got down from Dancer. "Tifa, this is Reno, and that's his mate, Rude, over there. They're both Turks. Tifa was the one who originally sent the message, and she helped me get him out. She's going to look into becoming a Turk."

"Really?" Reno looked her over critically. "Think she can cut it?"

Cloud punched Reno on the arm. "She's been awesome. Only freaked out a little when we first found him because that was a fucking nightmare. I'd have been more worried if she hadn't. And she's been a huge help since then. You wouldn't _believe _the shit she was putting up with in that place, but she stuck it out to make sure Luke got help."

Tifa blushed and shook her head. "I didn't do much."

"Yeah, just put yourself on the line to save his life, no big deal. Okay, let me introduce you guys to him, and then I really, really need some time with Sephiroth."

Reno laughed. "It's been what, three days with no sex? Damn. You sure it hasn't just shrivelled up and closed over?"

"Don't even joke, man. Four. I'm _dying_."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll take good care of Luke while Sephiroth breathes some life back into your cunt."

Tifa looked absolutely mortified and Cloud gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, he's my best friend, and …"

"And Reno is a terrible influence with no decency," Rude said as he went over to Sephiroth, who had finally arrived, to help Luke down.

"Yep. He completely corrupted me. Hey, Luke, sorry for running off like that. I was just so excited to see my friends."

"Friends?" Luke looked between Reno and Rude curiously.

"Yeah, they're here to help us get you to Midgar."

"Hey, my name's Reno. Can you smell me?" He crouched a little and let Luke lean in to familiarize himself.

"Omega," Luke said.

"That's right, you're a natural at this. Rude here is my alpha, and we're going to help keep you safe, just like Cloud and Sephiroth have been doing. Would that be okay? It's just that they need a little bit of time by themselves."

"Going away?"

"Not for long. They just need to go spend a short time alone because they love each other so much, and it's so hard when they're not able to have privacy. They'll come back soon, and we'll all go to Midgar together. Do you think you might feel safe enough with me for a little while? We can go look at the plane we're going to fly in and I can explain how it works." Reno was smooth, and he had gradually eased Luke closer to him and away from Sephiroth until his mate was able to take a step back.

"We're going to come back, don't worry," Cloud said. "And if you get scared and need me, tell Reno and he'll come get me right away."

"Okay."

"Thank you, Luke. That's so kind of you." He kissed Luke's forehead, then stepped back until he bumped into Sephiroth. He gasped as he was embraced. How the hell did his body just know that they could be together now? Urges that he hadn't felt in days immediately surfaced, making him dizzy with lust.

"Mind if I just pick you up?" Sephiroth didn't wait for a reply before hoisting him up and carrying him towards the small building nearby. Like everything owned by Shinra, there would be private rooms with beds in it. He felt a bit bad for just abandoning Tifa with strangers while they went off to fuck. He also felt a bit bad for how awkward she must be feeling. Betas never really understood that, while they could suppress their urges, especially in an emergency, they really did need intimacy to be comfortable.

He squirmed around so he could bury his face in Sephiroth's neck and kiss their mating bond. He didn't feel bad enough to be even remotely willing to stop unless Luke needed them.

XXX

A/N: Thanks so much for the wonderful response to last week's chapter. Time skips are always a bit weird, and so I wasn't sure how well it would go over.

Stay safe and stay sane!


	16. Plan of Action

A/N: To Sake, there will be 19 chapters total, so three more after this one. Thanks so much for your comments!

XXX

Cloud heaved an exhausted sigh as he put the finishing touches on his presentation. He hadn't stayed in Midgar for so long since he did his initial classroom training with the Turks. Two months' worth of gathering data and evidence to make his case had him feeling like his ass had fused to his chair. And poor Sephiroth, stuck at a desk and training recruits just to accommodate him. But now he was ready. Rufus would approve his proposal, he was certain, and then he and Sephiroth could get back out in the field where they belonged. The irony that they had spent so much effort making their new apartment just the way they liked it only for their campsites to feel more like home wasn't lost on him.

He brushed the lint off his suit and straightened his tie, then gathered up his materials and headed for the conference room. He placed a handout and a pen in front of every seat and was in the process of figuring out the projector when there was a tap on the door.

"Can we come in early?" Tifa hovered in the doorway, looking nervous.

"Yeah, grab a seat. Hey, Cid."

"Cloud." The beta in charge of Tifa's training fixed a cup of tea at the sideboard and sat down, gesturing for Tifa to sit as well.

"Do you need help with anything?" Tifa asked.

"Lend me some courage?" he asked jokingly. "Public speaking is the worst."

She laughed and held her hand to her heart, then made a tossing motion towards him. "You can't have it all because I got told I had to go to a big executive meeting and that's pretty scary too."

"Thanks for sharing. I promise to not put you on the spot."

Sephiroth was the next to arrive, and Cloud got a kiss from him before he took his seat. He hovered near his mate to calm his nerves until everyone else had arrived, then headed up to the podium.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for coming. Today I'd like to share the results of the investigation I've been working on and extend a proposal for action. Please feel free to interrupt with questions or comments. I'll start with some background information. If you open your handouts to the first page, it's got the data I'm talking about so you can follow along and take notes.

"So, we're looking at the approximate alpha and omega population numbers starting from when record-keeping picked up after the calamity. This is when the omega gene was introduced to the general population through first the cure, and then the vaccine for geostigma. Omegas were no longer being created by the old Shinra, but they began to be born naturally because of the gene.

"As you can see, that while the population has fluctuated, the balance between the two was initially fairly stable, with approximately 20 to 30 percent fewer recorded omegas than alphas. According to the scientists at the gender research institute, it is believed that the omega birthrate naturally balances itself to ensure that they don't end up without a mate and should be about equal to the alpha population. The fewer number of omegas we see can be explained by the fact that we simply do not find them all."

Cloud paused and took a drink, and Sephiroth caught his eye to give him an encouraging smile.

"But what happened twenty-three years ago?" Rufus asked. "Things were getting better—I assume because our mobility was improving and the auction was becoming well known, but then the omega numbers suddenly drop off and keep going lower. Last year's stats say that they're barely more than half of the alpha population."

"That's what I've been trying to find out. If you turn to the next page, you'll see that the number of omegas brought to auction has been steadily decreasing as well. Despite increasing the prices we pay and expanding the auction to the Gold Saucer to make it easier for betas on the Western continent to bring them, it didn't have much effect on the overall numbers. I began to suspect that something else was happening to omegas and obtained permission from Tseng to look into it. I was at a dead-end, however, until meeting the omega, Luke."

He turned to the next slide, which had a brief outline of Luke's rescue and the situation they had found him in. "Getting information from Luke has been difficult due to his trauma and subsequent poor memory. However, Doctor Aerith and I were, over the course of numerous interviews, able to piece together a bit of a background. Luke is approximately sixteen years old. He was sold to the miners in the town of Ellismere shortly after his first heat when he was around fourteen or fifteen.

"I wondered, at the time of his rescue, how they were able to afford an omega. It is not a wealthy town by any stretch of the imagination, and I am certain that, even with pooling their money, they wouldn't have been able to pay more than what Shinra would have on average, even if he had been mistreated. So why would someone sell an omega at a discount? We think that Luke was in that mine for a year or two, and the auction at the Gold Saucer was well established by then. It wouldn't have been difficult to get him there."

Murmuring broke out at the table, and Cloud took another drink while he waited for everyone to settle down.

"Luke describes his life before Ellismere as such: he lived in a dormitory with about fifty other omegas. The dormitory had no windows, and in fact, until his rescue, Luke had never been outside. They were kept well fed, relatively healthy, and were given a basic education. They were taught that betas are superior and that they must always follow orders from them. The teachers were strict, and would often test their obedience by making them perform painful, difficult, or humiliating tasks and doling out severe punishments if they failed.

"When he reached puberty, he was castrated and transferred to a new dormitory, where his true 'training' began. Luke won't talk much about what happened there, but Doctor Aerith and I believe that this was when the sexual abuse and rape began. That they were basically training him to be a sex slave for whoever bought him."

Angry rumbling started up among the alphas and omegas present, and even the betas were whispering angrily.

"Puberty!? Fucking puberty!?" Tifa hissed. "He was just a child! He's still just a child!"

Cloud gave her a small smile, feeling appreciative of her outrage. She was a good person, despite her background, and he was glad they had met again.

"Luke says that the place he lived was called the Honeybee Inn and it was run by someone the omegas knew only as the Don. While I have no concrete evidence, it is my belief that this Don is breeding omegas for the express intent of selling or renting them to betas."

"How do you breed omegas?" Cid asked. "I thought it was pretty random now that we all have the genes."

"The data is limited, but studies have shown that women who give birth to an omega once are likely to do so again. I suspect that, rather than killing or sterilizing mothers of omegas, which is common in many beta communities, they are being impregnated again in order to produce more. Omegas impregnated by betas will also produce omegas approximately 65 percent of the time. If the Honeybee Inn is what I think it is, it would account for the decrease in omegas born both here in Midgar and in other communities."

"We just don't know where it is," Sephiroth said bluntly.

"No. I have some ideas, but so far, if it really exists, I don't know where."

"So let's find it." Rufus looked pissed off and determined. "You said you have a proposal for action?"

"Yes, sir, I do." Cloud switched slides to show the places he was most interested in. "I looked at where the omegas we had got at the auction came from around the time of the initial drop off 23 years ago and looked for gaps. I suspect that the people who started it took or bought omegas located nearest them to get the operation running, so to speak. I also looked at historical SOLDIER and Turk movements, trying to pinpoint places where they could fly under the radar. Based on the results of both approaches, I've identified a few possible locations. One on the northern continent, here, one on the western, and one here, around Junon."

"So close?" Cid said.

"It's a possibility. Our alliance with Junon means that we don't actually patrol there as frequently as we do other areas. My proposal involves three stages. The first is sending Turks to each location that I've identified as a possibility. Betas who aren't known to be a part of Shinra are the better choice for that job, as it seems that these people are actively trying to avoid our attention. At each location, they will attempt to infiltrate the population's underground community. Research has shown that, apart from small communities where the leader is also an abuser, the majority of betas do not normally condone the mistreatment of omegas, and often protest against it. Something on a large scale like this is most certainly not out in the open, not just to hide it from Shinra.

"I would like the beta Turks to attempt to make contact with, or at least establish the location or the identity of someone associated with the Honeybee Inn. I have come up with several possible methods for doing so that I can discuss in further detail later on. When contact is made and a specific location determined, again, I have several possible options based on the circumstances, but I believe that a combination of both infiltration and a direct SOLDIER assault will be the most effective. It is clear that the Honeybee Inn and the Don do not have the best interests of omegas at heart, and that it is essentially a sex trafficking ring. Based on the evidence, they are not interested in money or other benefits the people of Midgar could offer them in exchange for the omegas. Negotiation could cost valuable lives.

"If my theory is correct and we do expose an omega breeding program, Midgar will have to brace itself for an influx of omegas as well as female betas, who would have most likely been used as unwilling incubators. I think we'll need to start working as soon as possible to ensure that we have both the resources and personnel to care for them. Based on the population data and Luke's descriptions, I estimate that there are approximately five hundred omegas of varying ages held there, and perhaps one hundred female betas."

"Five hundred?" Rufus sputtered.

"Yes. That number takes into account both the current alpha population and the omegas that we historically haven't been able to find. My budget for the proposal is outlined over the next few pages of the handout."

Rufus flipped through the pages while Cloud waited nervously.

Finally, Rufus closed his handout. "I'm approving it. What are your initial orders?"

"Me?"

Rufus looked up and stared him straight in the eyes. "Ask for help and advice when you need it, but this is your operation, Cloud. You're more than capable of running it."

He took a deep breath. Well, he had come up with suggestions in case whoever was put in charge wanted his input. "Yes, sir. Thank you. Reeve, begin forming a plan for the increased population and how we'd move such a large number of people. Tseng, start coming up with strategies for how we'll re-organize the support system and make sure people are cared for. Cid, you're in charge of organizing the betas that we'll send to the potential locations. I'll meet with you to discuss the strategies I've come up with for making contact. Sephiroth and Lazard, work with Cid to give him the martial support he'll need to keep the beta agents safe. I'll also give you the description of the Honeybee that we got from Luke so you can begin thinking about plans of attack. I want everyone checking in regularly so I can adjust my plans as we gain information."

"Yes, sir," the room replied as one.

XXX

"Impressive show tonight, Tina." One of the regular patrons of the club sat down at Tifa's table and pushed a drink over to her.

She shrugged. "It was okay, I suppose."

"You sell yourself short. I've never seen anyone bring out a performance like that one from him." The man hooked his foot between the legs of the beta she had kneeling at her feet and bounced his red and swollen balls. He gave a soft whimper but didn't protest the treatment. "The way you can make them beg is truly an art form."

Tifa fought the urge to cringe and kept her face carefully neutral. She absolutely hated the shows she put on in the various underground sex clubs in Junon, pretending to get off on torturing people. She forced herself to give a long-suffering sigh. "I don't know. Betas are fine, but compared to the omega I took care of back home … have you ever seen one in heat? You can do absolutely anything to them and they'll not only still beg you to fuck them, but also come from it."

"Right, I'd heard you used to have an omega. You miss it?"

She scoffed. "Miss it? I'd sell my own mother for the chance to play with another one."

"Really?" The man shifted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trailing his fingers over her breast. "It just so happens that I could perhaps arrange such a thing."

"Oh?" Tifa cast her mind to the meditation techniques she had been taught, attempting to disconnect herself from the situation as the man slipped his hand into her top and groped her.

"I can't say I'm terribly interested in your mother as payment for making the arrangements, however." He licked the shell of her ear and slipped a card into her cleavage before sitting back. "You won't get in without a referral, but my personal number is on the back if you're interested."

The man excused himself and disappeared into the crowd, and Tifa pulled out the card. The Honeybee Inn. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking, and she gathered up her things, leaving the sub with a bouncer who would rent him out to someone else for the rest of the night.

She had calmed down slightly by the time she got back to the tiny apartment she rented, and she stared at the card in her hands. There wasn't much information on it. Just the name and a number, but it was proof that it actually existed. She turned it over and looked at the handwritten number on the back. His name was apparently Kotch. Would he really get her in? Her stomach turned at the thought of the payment he wanted. Could she do it?

She left the card on her bed and poured herself a glass of whiskey. If she didn't, the card was probably useless. Maybe the number could be traced, but she rather doubted it. Maybe they could take Kotch into custody and get the information out of him, but that held the risk of tipping them off. She knew that no one at Shinra would make her do it, or even ask her to. She knew that they'd try to find another way. But this was their best chance, she was sure.

"It's not like you haven't fucked randos to get this far," she muttered to herself, deliberately ignoring the fact that she had been the one in control during those situations. There was no other choice if she truly intended to help. She downed the whiskey and slammed the glass onto the counter, then grabbed her phone. First things first, she had to update Cid. There was no way in hell she was going to meet with that guy without a SOLDIER nearby who would get her out if it went bad.

XXX

"Luke, it's me, Tifa. May I come in?" Tifa tapped on Luke's door. Moments later, there was a thudding of feet and the door was flung open.

"Tifa! You're back!" Luke wrapped his still thin arms around her and squeezed tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too!" She hugged him back and ruffled his hair.

"How long can you stay?"

"Just three days," she said, "but it's going to be over soon, and then I'll be able to come back and see you every day again."

Luke let go and looked up at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

She nodded. Just seeing his hopeful expression was enough to know that it had all been worth it. "I have an appointment at the Honeybee Inn when I go back to Junon. I'll find out where it is and get as much information about it as I can, then Cloud will finalize a plan and we'll take it down. We're going to save them, Luke."

"Wow …" Luke backed up and let her come into his small apartment. Luke had chosen to live alone once his health had stabilized, and had rejected the offers of an unmated omega roommate, as well as the possibility of living with a mated pair. He was doing okay adjusting, but not well, and Tifa hoped that success in the mission might help give him the closure he needed in order to move on. "I can't believe it's real. I had friends … I hope I can see them again."

"We'll do our best to find them. Even if they got sold too, that place must be keeping records of some sort. We'll track them down. So how are you? I need a distraction from how nervous I am, so tell me something interesting."

They sat down on the couch and Luke curled up next to her with his head in her lap. It amazed a lot of people how attached Luke had become to a beta, but it made sense to her. She didn't have a job when she first arrived, and so had spent all her time with Luke in the hospital so he didn't have to be alone or with strangers. Cloud and Sephiroth hadn't been able to spend that much time with him, and he had been so nervous around other people. They had bonded well.

"Doctor Gast says I can go off the heat blocking medicine if I want. I'm healthy enough now to handle it."

"Oh! That's big news. What do you think you want to do?"

"I don't know. I guess I should, but I don't want someone seeing me like that. I know it wouldn't be like before, but …"

"If you don't want it, you shouldn't try to force yourself to do it." Tifa ran her fingers through Luke's hair, gently scratching his scalp. "Cloud told me that he wished they had that medicine when he was rescued. He said he would have taken it for a couple years, at least."

"He would have? But he loves Sephiroth!"

"He does. He's happy, and I know he enjoys being mated, but he wasn't ready to mate when he did. I think he's still pretty angry that he had to. Sephiroth would have waited for him."

Luke nodded. "He would have."

"And any alpha who's worth a second thought will wait for you. You're still so young. There's no need for you to do something you're not certain about yet. I know that the medicine can't put off the need to mate indefinitely, but it will for a time. Maybe instead of starting your heats again, you could work on getting out more and meeting people. Once I'm back in Midgar, I'd love to join a club or something with you. We could meet new people together."

"You'd want to?"

"Sure. I barely had a chance to meet anyone outside of the Turks while I was training, and then I got sent to Junon. And there … well, the people I've been meeting aren't the sort of people I actually want to know. Besides, it's easier to try new things when you already have a friend. What do you say? Will you be my going out buddy?"

Luke sat up and bobbed his head. "I'll ask about clubs so I can have some ideas when you get back."

"That sounds fantastic! So, are you making me dinner tonight, or are you taking me out?"

XXX

"This is clothes?" Cloud held up the dress Tifa planned to wear to the Honeybee. She snatched it out of his hands and threw it to Scarlet.

"Yes, it's clothes. In a very, very technical sense of the word. Can you work with it?"

Scarlet looked over the tiny garment. "Yes. I'll need you to put it on for me so I can make sure I'm putting the tracker somewhere it won't be noticeable. It will be fragile because of the size it will need to be, however, so don't put all your faith in it. Your boots are your best bet. I'll put a sturdier tracker in each heel. I haven't managed to make a radio small enough that we can hide it, though. It's frustrating, I know there must be a way of making batteries small enough without mako, but I can't figure it out. We'll have to risk a larger radio hidden in with your other stuff and hope nobody notices it."

"No," Tifa said. "That's too big a risk. I'm certain they'll search my stuff, and I'm not risking this operation for that."

Several people started speaking at once, protesting the idea of her going in silent.

"It's Tifa's decision," Cloud said over them. "Are you certain? The emergency transmitters don't work without a radio nearby. You wouldn't be able to contact us for help, so we'd be risking—"

"I'm certain. I'm the only person who's managed to get an invitation. I am not risking not getting in. I'll have the trackers, so you'll know where to find me if I don't come out on time."

Cloud looked her in the eyes and nodded firmly. "Okay. You go in silent. Now, you've asked for an omega in heat, right?"

"Yes. I know it probably would have been better to not, but—"

"No, wanting one in heat fits the persona you've established better. Tseng, do you have—"

"Here." Tseng slid a small case across the table to her. "Emergency heat suppressants. Unlike the inhibitors, they can be administered even mid-heat and will diminish the effects of it. The omega will still need to be knotted, but he should be a lot more aware and able to help you if he's willing."

"How do I smuggle them in?"

For the first time since she met him, Tseng blushed, and Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," she said, "but, vaginally. I designed a silicon capsule to hold the pills. It can't be picked up by the scanning technology we have, so anything they might have won't be able to either. It's placed inside a tampon, which you'll wet with fake blood in case they force you to have an inspection."

Tifa opened the case and looked at the capsule containing two tiny pills, a tampon with an opening in the tip, and a little red vial. "No problem. I've done plenty of scenes while on my period and have established it as a kink of mine, so it won't seem odd that I'd be on it then. Do I give him both pills at the same time? And how long will it take to have an effect?"

"Both at the same time" Tseng answered. "They should work within an hour and last for four days. Are you sure—"

"I am completely sure."

"Thank you, Tifa," Cloud said. "Words can't express how much I appreciate what you're doing. Whatever support you need, now, or after the mission, just ask and we'll give it to you."

"Thanks. I … I'm definitely going to need a shoulder to cry on. I've done some awful things to get that invitation. But let's get those omegas home first."

There was a murmur of agreement, and Cloud turned to Sephiroth. "Can you go over the security plan again now that we've got all the details of the infiltration worked out?"

Sephiroth gave a solemn nod. "Of course. Tifa, we're going to do absolutely everything in our power to keep you safe."


	17. The Honeybee Inn

"Spread 'em, hole." There was a loud rap on the edge of his bed, and Essai groaned and rolled onto his back, bending his legs and spreading them open. The thermometer was inserted roughly into his vagina and he waited, staring at the ceiling and hoping it would come back negative. Just one more day, that was all he wanted. He'd be able to face it tomorrow.

"Yep, you're starting. Hoped you could get away with not reporting?" The guard slapped his cock hard.

"I didn't realize, sir," he protested as he blinked back tears of pain.

The guard just scoffed. "I guess that must be because you're so hungry for cock all the time. I'd give you what you want now, but the client wants to see it right from the start. Go take a shower. She likes anal, so wash your ass too."

"She?"

"Fucking psycho of a sadist," the guard laughed. "She likes pegging and apparently has a strap-on that will let her fuck both holes at once. I suppose the Don's decided it doesn't matter if she wrecks you. Everyone knows you're getting old. Hurry up and get ready, hole."

Essai sat up as the guard left and tried to pull himself together. A gentle hand slipped into his, and he turned to see Sebastian, who was attempting to give him an encouraging smile. He couldn't think of anything to say, but squeezed Sebastian's hand and stole a quick kiss when the guards weren't looking, then stood up.

He wanted to dawdle in the shower, but didn't want to risk the punishment for it after his heat. If this client was as bad as the guard said, he'd be in no shape to handle it. Though that was something to consider … maybe they'd kill him. No, he couldn't leave Sebastian alone. At least with a woman, he wouldn't end up pregnant again. With the way he'd been feeling lately, he was certain he couldn't handle another. He dragged himself out, dressing in his tunic again, though he knew he'd be made to take it off right away, and reported to the guard station.

"You always look so glum before your heat. How do you manage to forget how much you beg for it every time?"

He ignored the taunting and followed the guard through the long corridors to the entertainment section. He took a deep breath as the guard knocked on a door. It was game face time.

A woman was lounging in one of the chairs, her leg was slung over one armrest, and her long brown hair was draped over the other. She was wearing thigh-high boots and a tight black dress that showed off her ample cleavage, and he could see that she wasn't wearing any panties. Essai suddenly found himself hoping that the heat would come on quickly so he wouldn't have to worry about his performance. His cock wasn't good for much anymore, but it could still get hard, especially when he was in heat, and that would be what she cared about.

Don Corneo was in the second chair, and he smiled at Essai as he entered. "Here's your toy. Is—why is he in clothes?"

"Sorry, boss, you know how stubborn the old ones get sometimes." The guard grabbed his tunic and pulled it off of him, ripping one of the sleeves as he did so. He fought the urge to cover himself and instead spread his feet apart the way he'd been trained so she could see he was an omega.

"Much better. Is he to your liking?"

The woman looked him up and down. She had a hard, cruel look to her. "Good enough. That little cock's pathetic, though. Why the hell do you castrate them?"

The Don laughed. "Most of our clients aren't interested in their cocks, and their balls get in the way."

She scoffed. "What? There's plenty of things you can do to keep them out of the way while you fuck them, even when they're not in heat, and it makes them cry such beautiful tears. You just need to get creative. The omega I used to take care of in my hometown liked having them put in ice water. They'd shrivel up into little raisins for me."

"Maybe I'll have to consider raising a new batch that we'll keep intact, just for variety's sake."

Essai tried his best to remain impassive, but he felt a few tears slip down his cheeks. There was a riding crop and an absolutely massive dildo on the table among other things. This woman wasn't just going to fuck him, she was going to torture him, and the Don didn't care. It was made worse by the growing sense of need he was feeling.

"So I'm allowed to do what I want?" she asked.

"Yes, but we require that you knot him at least once a day for two hours, and let him eat and sleep during that time. I also recommend keeping him knotted while you sleep. You don't have to, but they get noisy if you ignore them. Pull this cord whenever you want a meal delivered. They're brought to you by trainees—omegas who have begun training for service but haven't had a heat yet. The trainees will feed him and help him take care of waste elimination unless that's something you want to do yourself. You can have a bit of fun with the trainees as well if you want, but don't leave too many marks, and don't keep them more than an hour."

She raised an eyebrow. "Children aren't really my thing."

Corneo laughed. "Well, there's your mistake! They're not _children,_ just animals. Tell you what, I'll find you some that haven't been snipped yet."

"Huh, I suppose you have a point, and one that hasn't been cut would certainly be fun. Don't worry, I know plenty of games that don't leave marks."

"Not worried, at all. We're going to cut them off anyway, so it doesn't matter if you damage their balls." The Don pushed himself to his feet and walked over to Essai. "I'll leave you to it, then. Have a good heat, hole." He shoved his meaty fingers into him, making him wince, and pumped them several times. "He's getting nice and ready for you."

"Good, I'm looking forward to finally putting a real bitch through his paces again."

Corneo and the guard left, and there was the space of a heartbeat before the woman was out of her chair and dragging it over to the door. She wedged it under the handle.

"Fuck, I can't believe I just said I wanted to sexually assault a child. Don't throw up. Don't throw up. Get it together, girl. I am so, so sorry for scaring you and talking about you like that. I'm not going to hurt you."

Essai blinked. "What?"

She picked up his torn tunic and placed it in his hands. "I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Tifa, and I'm here to help get you out of this place."

He gave his head a shake, not quite understanding what he was hearing.

"It's okay. Here, let's get you dressed again for now." She pulled the tunic over his head, then rummaged through her bag until she came up with a pin that she used to hold the torn sleeve together, then she nudged him towards the bed until he sat down on it. "How close is your heat? Can you tell?"

"Sho—should be—maybe an hour before I need—"

"Okay, good, that's plenty of time. Sorry, this is a bit gross, but …" She turned away and reached under her short skirt and between her legs. When she stood up straight, she was holding a bloody wad of something. "Sorry, sorry, I know, but they went over everything I was carrying with a fine-tooth comb. I don't even know where I am. They made me wear a blindfold the whole way. Are we underground? Makes sense, but … fuck, I hope the signal works. Well, they'll know where they lost it at least. That's something."

Essai could only stare in shock as she fiddled with the thing she had pulled out of herself, put the bloody part in a plastic bag, and wiped off what she had taken out of it on her dress.

"Save the blood for if we need to make it look like I hurt you. Oh, shit, nearly forgot. Here!" She dove for her bag again and came up with a black piece of fabric, a small blanket, he realized, and held it out to him.

Curious, he took it but wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

"Smell it. It will help."

"Smell?"

"Yes. I'm a beta. I can't comfort you like an alpha can, but my friends gave me that to give to you. Smell it."

Essai had no clue what she was going on about, but he knew how to follow orders. He held the blanket to his face and inhaled. A sensation unlike anything he'd felt before swept over him, and the tension bled from his body. What the fuck was it? A drug of some sort?

"Are you feeling a bit calmer?"

He tilted his head to the side, clutching the blanket close and rubbing his cheek into it. "Yes."

"Good. My name is Tifa, and I'm a Turk with the Neo Shinra Electric Power Company. I'm here to help you, but I need your help as well."

"My help?"

"Yes, but first, I need to ask you to take this medicine." She held up the thing that had been in her vagina. "These pills will suppress your upcoming heat. They can't stop it entirely, but you won't feel the effects as strongly. I need you to take them so we can talk without being too distracted by your needs. Are you willing to do that?"

"I …" Essai breathed in the scent of the blanket again. What was it? Why did it make him feel so safe? The woman's entire demeanour seemed changed from when the Don had been in the room. He couldn't see a hint of the cruelty in her expression now. "Okay."

"Thank you. Here's some water. Swallow both. It will take a little while for them to take effect, so how about you lie down for now? I'll help with your heat when you need it, but don't worry, I'm not here to get off on it. We'll only do what you need, and only when you need it. Because of the medicine, you'll be coherent enough to make decisions for yourself." She turned to the supply closet that was in all the rooms and pulled out a fat blanket, then tucked it around him. "There we go, just keep smelling the blanket I brought. Is it still helping you feel safe?"

"Yes, but I don't—"

"Shh, I promise I will explain. Can you tell me your name first? Do you have one?"

"My … name?" They were only supposed to say their names amongst each other, but … he hated being a number and only ever referred to as a hole. "Essai," he whispered.

"It's nice to meet you, Essai. I'm sorry it wasn't under better circumstances. The blanket I gave you has been scented by mated alphas. Do you know what an alpha is?"

He shook his head.

"They're the counterparts to omegas like you. You're meant to be with them, and your instincts know that they keep you safe. The alphas I work with rubbed the blanket on their scent glands so you could smell them on it and be able to trust me a little bit. I don't have anything else to prove that I am who I say I am, but I'd like to tell you that I believe with all my heart that what is happening to you here is wrong. The way you're treated is wrong. I want to get you out of here."

"Just me?" He couldn't leave Sebastian.

"No. Every single innocent person in here."

"You can do that?"

"I can't promise that it will be perfect or that no one will get hurt, but yes. Shinra is a powerful organization. Much more powerful than that piece of shit, Corneo. The man who's organizing this operation is an omega named Cloud, and he's a genius at planning. If you're willing to give me as much information as you can about this place, he'll be able to come up with a plan to get everyone out."

"Wait, an omega? That's bullshit."

"No, it's not. Cloud is incredibly good at what he does, and what he does is help omegas who need it. Shinra is run by an omega. The director of the most powerful army in the world is an omega. The scientists who developed the heat suppression drugs are omegas. I don't know what you've been taught, Essai, but omegas are strong and smart and resilient as fuck. And right now, the omegas out there need your help, so they can help you and all the others in here. Will you help them?"

Essai lay there stunned for a few moments after the woman's impassioned plea. He wasn't helpful. He was just a hole. Did they really need him? He thought of Sebastian, who hadn't spoken a word since whatever they had done to him during his first heat. Could he risk it? Could he risk _not_ trying? He _was _getting old. He didn't know what happened to them when they got too old, but he assumed it wouldn't be an improvement on his current situation. If they were going to die anyway, would it hurt to try?

"What do you need to know?"

Tifa smiled and squeezed his hand. "Thank you. Can we start with what you know of the layout of this place?"

Essai talked and talked. He didn't know how Tifa was going to remember it all, but she listened carefully and prompted him for more and more details about everything. He lost track of time, but he knew it was long past when he should have fully gone into heat by the time his arousal was too distracting to keep going.

"I'm sorry, but I need …"

"Okay, no problem. Here, just lie back, make yourself comfortable. Is this dildo an okay size?" She picked up the massive dildo from the table, and Essai flinched away, but then she did something at the base and popped it open. A rather normal-sized or even what could be considered small dildo slid out into her hand and she held it up.

"Um, yeah, that's ... that's fine."

"Whew. I was told I didn't need to supply a knotting dildo, so I wasn't sure if I could get away with bringing one. We didn't want to risk you not having something appropriate, but were worried it might be a bit too small."

"I'd rather too small than that thing. I'd also ... I don't really like the dildos they use on us. The knot gets so big and it hurts."

"Then we'll use this." Tifa spread some lubricant onto it. "What do you need? I can lie down with you and hold you, or I can turn away and let you take care of it yourself."

Essai looked at the dildo. "I've never actually done it myself."

"Okay. How about I lie with you and help at least to start? It's common for people who choose to use a dildo to prefer having help with it. It's difficult to keep up a good rhythm when you're distracted. Just push me away if you want me to stop, and I'll need you to tell me when you're ready to be knotted. I can't tell on my own."

"When I'm ready?" That made no sense. He got fucked until whoever was using him decided to knot him. "How am I supposed to know?"

"I'm not really sure, but you should know instinctively. Every omega I've seen in heat just knows. I think it's like how you know now that you need penetration."

Essai nodded, though somehow this was almost scarier than if she had just been planning to use him how she wanted. "You—you've seen omegas in heat?"

Tifa slid into the bed and wrapped her arm behind him. "Yes, with their consent, so I could learn what to do. Everyone's different though, so if I do something you don't like, just say. Are you comfortable like this?"

"Ye—yes." Tifa had placed the blanket over her chest, and he rested his head against it. Her breasts were like a pillow, and the blanket still smelled so nice.

"Would you like to touch yourself a little bit first, or are you ready for the dildo?"

"I ..."

"I know you're not used to this. You can just do whatever feels right."

He'd never been allowed to touch himself during a heat. Most clients liked to have his hands bound to the headboard so he had to beg for help. He slipped his hand down between his legs and rubbed carefully before slipping a finger in. He shook his head. "I … please, I …"

"Okay, it's okay. You don't have to beg. Just tell me what you want, and that's what I'll do."

He pulled his hand away, and Tifa gently pressed the dildo into him. She maintained a steady rhythm while Essai kept his nose buried in the blanket. He half-expected her demeanour to suddenly change again. Maybe she would get off on getting his hopes up and then crushing them. But after coming twice, he mumbled something about wanting the knot, and seconds later, it was slowly swelling inside him.

"Good job. You did so well. I know it must have been weird not being fully in heat, but you did well. Just rest for a little bit." Tifa wiped the sweat off him, then tucked the blankets back around him. "Is the knot okay?"

"Yes, it's … it feels nice."

"Good. Here, have some water. We can talk again after you've rested."

She sat with him, gently stroking his head until he felt back to normal, like he wasn't in heat at all. He reached under the blanket and deflated the dildo before easing it out. "I'm ready."

"Do you need to eat first? It's probably a bit soon if I'm only expected to knot you and let you eat once a day, but surely I can get something for myself."

Essai shook his head with determination. "I'm fine. I want Sebastian out of here. I'm not wasting any more time than I have to. We were talking about the setup of the nursery, right?"

"Right. You said it's located furthest from this area. And further down?"

"Yes, I think it's the deepest area. It has its own guard station, but it doesn't have as many guards as up here."

"Any guess as to how many?"

"Usually there are six on duty, and there are three doctors and maybe twenty nurses as well that take shifts."

Tifa sneered. "How dare they call themselves doctors." She gave her head a shake. "Sorry, that's not helpful of me. What about beta women? Cloud suspected that they use women who've given birth to omegas previously to try to breed more."

"Yeah. They make the women take care of the babies so we can go back to work after we give birth. They … they don't want to be here, either. Will you help them as well?"

"Yes, don't worry. We won't abandon them."

Essai smiled. He couldn't imagine how this could possibly work, but it was nice to hope.


	18. Operation Storm Cloud

"SOLDIER units are moving into position now."

"Copy that." Lazard sounded so calm and collected. Cloud had no idea how he managed it. Even hearing Sephiroth's voice on the radio wasn't enough to quell the fear that churned in his guts as he waited in the command truck. What if it all went wrong? What if something had happened since Tifa saw Essai? What if he had been caught? What if—

"Cloud." Tseng placed his hand over Cloud's and squeezed. "It's going to be okay."

"But we don't have a complete map or proper numbers or—"

Lazard squeezed his hand as well. "If my SOLDIERs can't pull this off just because of a few unknowns, they don't have any business calling themselves SOLDIERs."

"What if they get hurt?"

"Have you ever seen Sephiroth get hurt?" Tseng asked gently.

Cloud shook his head. He hadn't, and he knew that Sephiroth wouldn't have okayed going in now if he wasn't confident. As much as Sephiroth was worried for Essai after hearing Tifa's report about his declining health, Cloud knew that, like all mated alphas, his own omega was his priority. He wouldn't risk leaving Cloud alone for anyone. It was why Lazard didn't really like SOLDIERs mating.

"It's going to be okay."

He nodded, trying his best to believe it, and put on a brave face as the various units began to report that they were in place.

"Ready to move on your orders," Sephiroth said over the radio.

Cloud took a deep breath. "All units, begin Operation Storm Cloud. I still think that name's ridiculous," he added under his breath.

"I love it," Tseng said as they watched the dots on the screens that represented that SOLDIERs begin to move into the old mining tunnel carved into the side of the mountain. Some began to drop their signals, but they quickly reappeared when one of Scarlet's signal boosters was put into place. They moved fast and began to branch out, separating to go down what must have been diverging corridors. "You're taking the world by storm."

XXX

Essai squeezed Sebastian's hand so tightly his knuckles crunched. "Sorry," he whispered, but didn't loosen his grip. Any moment now. If the past two months hadn't just been a bunch of lies, it was going to happen any moment now.

The omegas in the dorm were all noticeably tense. It had been such a relief when he had been allowed to tell them what had actually been going on when he was requested by the sadistic beta woman. Nobody had balked at the plan. Nobody had argued. Now he just had to hope that nobody had betrayed them. He was sure they wouldn't. The idea of leaving … the idea that there was somewhere better than here … it had gripped them all like a fevered dream. They were getting out.

"Open up, hole. I'm bored."

He didn't resist as one of the guards approached and unzipped his pants. He opened his mouth and let him fuck his face. He didn't choke or try to keep him from going too deep. He didn't care. This would be the last time. They were getting out.

"What the fuck is wrong with everyone today? Come on, work, bitch." The guard pulled out and slapped him across the face hard enough to make his ears ring, then shoved back in. "Suck it properly or you'll be cleaning the toilets with your tongue."

Out of the corner of his eye, Essai saw someone's head dart out briefly around the door frame, then several people in black ran quickly past. They were keeping low to the ground and had weapons in their hands. SOLDIERs. That had to be them. He looked straight ahead and focussed on keeping the guard's attention, sucking his cock like it was Sebastian's. Several minutes passed, during which Essai lost track of how many people went past their door. He knew from Tifa that they were trying to get in as far as possible before they attacked.

"This is SOLDIER," someone shouted in a booming voice. "Step away from the omegas and put your hands in the air."

Essai bit down as hard as he could.

Blood sprayed over him, filling his mouth and choking him, but he kept his teeth clamped down as the guard screamed and hit him. It was only when his fist connected with his nose that he let go. As he started to spit, his eyes went wide as Sebastian flew past him. He pummelled the screaming guard until Essai came to his senses and pulled him away, dragging him towards the relative safety of their beds.

SOLDIERs were flooding into the room, and he heard banging and shouting from outside. They moved faster than Essai could process, pulling guards away from the omegas and tackling them to the ground. They cuffed their hands behind their backs and shoved gags in their mouths before dragging them to the corner by the entrance.

"It's okay. We're okay," he whispered in Sebastian's ear, hugging him close. "We're going to be okay."

A uniformed man approached them, staring at the guard with wide eyes. "Nicely done!" he exclaimed. "Are either of you hurt?"

He shook his head. His nose was throbbing, but he didn't think it was broken.

"Dorm room C is ours." The man spoke into a device on his shoulder. "No injuries in the attack, but we might eventually want to send a medic along if we're feeling nice. One of the guards seems to have misplaced his penis."

"Zack, do you need a medic or not?" The voice that replied sounded annoyed.

"Sorry, Cloud. Yes, but it's lowest priority."

"Rodger. If the dorm is secure, take your unit to the lower levels. Angeal needs backup."

"Understood."

"That was Cloud?" Essai couldn't help but speak. The mysterious omega who was organizing everything actually existed? Tifa had told him so many stories about him while he was resting after the surges of his heat that he seemed more like a hero out of a book than a real person.

The man tilted his head curiously. "You Essai?" When he nodded, a smile spread across the man's face. "Man, I've heard so much about you. Seriously, nice fucking job with the biting! I'm SOLDIER First Class Zack, and yeah, that was Cloud. He's looking forward to meeting you. And you must be Sebastian. Thanks for helping Essai out. We've been so worried about you all."

He turned and addressed the room at large. "Listen up, everyone, I understand that you're probably frightened, but we're here to help you. I need you to stay here until the entire place is secured. Five of us will remain as guards to protect you. If you need anything, if you're hungry, injured, or going into heat, anything at all, tell them. They will not hurt you. Everyone not on guard duty, regroup in the hall. We're backing up Angeal's unit."

One of the SOLDIERs came over and looked down at the guard Essai had bitten. "Are we sending him with the rest of the prisoners?"

Zack sighed disappointedly. "No, I called for a low priority medic. Just cuff him and make a passing attempt at keeping him from bleeding out."

"Fuck you," the guard spat out. "Get me a fucking medic now."

The second man just laughed and roughly handcuffed him. "Now, now, take your punishment for putting your cock where it doesn't belong like a good little boy, you piece of shit." He dragged him away from Essai and Sebastian, then returned with a cloth and a bottle of water. "You okay? Can I help wipe you off a bit? I saw him punch you and want to check out your nose."

Essai trembled as he let the SOLDIER, who introduced himself as Kunsel, get some of the blood off and inspect his nose. He couldn't smell him like he could the blankets Tifa had brought, but assumed that was due to the blood clogging up his nose. Sebastian didn't seem frightened of him, at least, and was even sniffing at him curiously. "Looks like it's bleeding, but not broken. That's good. Just pinch it like this and keep your head down to let the blood drain. It should stop soon."

Two of the other SOLDIERs who had remained behind were moving around the room, checking injuries and wrapping blankets around shoulders. One stood watching over the guards. His entire posture was menacing, and it looked like he wanted to hurt them. The final SOLDIER watched the door. He had a radio as well, and Essai could hear a few bits of the reports that were coming through.

What they called the rape rooms were being secured. Essai suspected those were the entertainment rooms where they would serve clients. Someone was asking for help with the omegas in heat. Cloud's calm voice responded that the heat team was on its way and to not touch the omegas. A while later he informed them that all the dormitories had been secured. Sometime after that, Essai hadn't been able to hear what was said, but the SOLDIER turned to the room.

"Sephiroth found Corneo! He's got the scumbag in custody!"

The SOLDIERs gave a loud cheer, and even the omegas murmured amongst themselves. Essai could hardly believe it. Don Corneo was practically a god, and yet …

"Did he manage to fall on Sephiroth's sword?" one of the SOLDIERs asked.

"I fucking wish. I know they want to do the whole trial thing to keep us from looking like mass murderers, but I really just want to kill them all now. Slowly." The man watching the tied-up guards pointed his sword at one of them. "Skin them alive or something fun like that."

"My vote's for Essai's method," Kunsel said. "Let these guys get a little revenge."

Sebastian nodded, making Essai laugh. It was probably the most responsive he'd been towards anyone other than him in years. "I dunno, I don't think I want one of their cocks near my mouth ever again."

"Good point," Kunsel said. "Tell you what, I'll bite them off in your stead. You're a hero, after all. You deserve a reward, and if you'd like it to be in the form of bitten off cocks, I'll lend my teeth to the cause."

"Fuckin' right," the SOLDIER by the guards said. He snapped his teeth at them. "I don't mind some rapist's dick in my mouth if I get to chomp down."

"Settle down," the one at the door said. "They've taken the nursery. That's the last place. Turks will be moving in soon."

XXX

Reno ran with his team, following the trail that the SOLDIERs had left. Second Class Amin was waiting for them, and he waved them down the correct hall. "This way. We've found six in the area we've got secured. Nobody's touched them, just got the betas out. We've been trying to talk to them, though, telling them that help's coming."

"Thanks, we've got it from here." Rude directed each of them to the different rooms Amin pointed out.

Reno accidentally stepped on the naked beta who had been hauled out of the room he was assigned to, grinding his heel into his ankle a little as he passed. The beta had been shouting about how he had paid good money and they couldn't do this to him, but Reno greatly preferred his scream of pain.

The omega in the room was desperate, in his presentation pose and bucking his hips frantically while he begged to be fucked.

"I've got you, baby." Reno slung his bag off his shoulder and ripped the sterile packaging off one of the dildos in it. He lubed it up and didn't hesitate before inserting it into the omega. "There you go. You're okay. I've got you."

The omega sobbed as he was penetrated and Reno began thrusting. He kept his pace steady and pulled out a thin blanket with his other hand, draping it over the young man to preserve a bit of his modesty. He attempted to get the cuffs that bound the omega's wrists to the headboard off him, but couldn't manage it one-handed.

"I'll get those off as soon as you're comfortably knotted, don't you worry." The omega nuzzled against him, relaxing a little bit, then he came with a soft cry. "There we go. Good job. Another couple and we'll get you knotted. You're gonna be just fine."

"Everything okay in here?" Rude stood in the doorway with a young omega balanced on his hip. He had a blanket wrapped around him and was clinging to Rude with his nose firmly planted against his scent gland. He couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve, and Reno nearly sobbed at the sight. Tifa had told them about how clients were allowed to rape the trainees who were sent in to help when an omega was knotted.

"Yeah, I, uh, I can't get these cuffs off him."

His mate, who was even more taciturn than usual due to him purring for the kid he was carrying, approached the bed, and between the two of them, they managed to get them undone. They rolled the omega over into a more comfortable position, and Rude took a thicker blanket off a shelf and tucked it around him before heading for the door.

"Good job, baby," Reno said when the omega came a second time. He frowned when he heard a small whimper. "Do you need another or …"

Rude turned back and lifted the blanket covering him for a moment. "Knot him now, he's ready."

"Okay." He fully inserted the dildo, then inflated the knot. Once it was fixed in place, he turned back to his bag and got out the heat suppressants and a bottle of water. He stroked the omega's cheek with his finger. "Hey, baby, can you understand me?"

The omega gave a frightened nod.

"Good. I'm so sorry for the lack of introductions and permission, but you were in a lot of pain and needed help. My name is Reno, and I'm a Turk from Shinra. Did you know we'd be coming?"

He got another nod.

"Wonderful. I'm glad Essai was able to get the message to you. I'm sorry we didn't get here before your heat started though. Did he tell you about the heat suppressants?"

Another nod.

"Would you like to take them? Finish your heat sooner and get out of this hellhole?"

"Please." Tears began to stream down the omega's cheeks, and Reno rocked him in his arms after giving him the pills.

"There we go. It's okay now. I'm going to take care of you until we get you to safety. You're never going to go through that again."

XXX

Cloud's boots echoed off the walls of the tunnels. Closer to the entrance where the paying rapists were served had been a bit nicer. Here, however, it was just stone tunnels under the mountain. Gaia, it would be cold and miserable in winter.

"Cissnei, report," he said to the Turk as he approached what he assumed were the dormitories.

Cissnei glanced up from her clipboard. "Five dorms here consisting of about fifty to sixty omegas each. Two hold the omegas who were rented out within the business, and three have post-pubescent, pre-heat omegas. From speaking to them, it appears that one dorm was destined for private sales, and the other two were for replenishing the population here."

"Okay, and you've started a list of names and prioritizing the order we're moving them out in?" They simply hadn't been able to arrange enough vehicles to move everyone at once, so they were going to go in stages, from the most urgent cases to the least.

"Doing my best. It appears that their names are extremely limited, and the pre-heat omegas don't have names at all. I've got six Essais in here alone. They're passed on from older omegas once they enter the … final dorms." She took a deep breath, allowing them both to process the fact that they were final because the unmated omegas most certainly died. The mass grave Angeal's unit had discovered deep in the caverns would be evidence of that, among other crimes. Cloud was certain that any beta babies wouldn't have been allowed to live. "I think the initial ones must have had names, but after that, they just recycled them … They all have unique numbers, though, so I've been using them as additional identifiers for now."

Cloud made a face. "I don't like that, but I guess it will have to do."

"I've got eleven who are beyond needing to mate, including Tifa's Essai. She was right about that. I put them as a top priority."

"Okay, I'll have Vincent get the alphas back in Midgar ready so they've at least got a few options. Doctor Gast says their heats will trigger pretty quickly once they're exposed to unmated alphas, and neither the suppressants nor the inhibitors will do much, so make sure you keep them separated. I don't want anyone having to mate here."

"Understood. I'll arrange for Elena to fly them back with a strictly beta or mated team to accompany them."

"Is it okay if she goes without you?"

Cissnei gave him a blank look. "We're married, Cloud, not mated."

He blushed, feeling embarrassed. Marriage still seemed a lot like mating to him, and he couldn't imagine being okay with going so far from Sephiroth, even if he didn't _need _him. "Right. I'd like to meet Essai first. Where is he?"

"Just in here. Don't worry, the blood mostly isn't his."

Cissnei led him slightly further down the hall to a room full of uncomfortable-looking beds. Turks milled around the omegas, who were wrapped in Shinra-issue blankets and cuddling with each other.

"Do your best to make sure that friends stay together," he said as he took in the prison. "Their lives have been disrupted enough."

"Yes, sir. Essai is there."

Cloud made his way through the beds to the pair that Cissnei pointed out. One was licking the other's scent glands, and they didn't notice him coming until he was right next to them. The one being licked opened his eyes partway, then they went wide.

"Cloud? Are you Cloud?"

"Oh, um, yes." He glanced down at his chest and laughed, having forgotten about the name badge sewn to his combat uniform. "Are you Essai?"

The omega nodded, and his friend finally seemed to take notice of him and looked up. "You're really an omega?"

"I am." He looked around curiously at the attention they were attracting from the others. They were murmuring his name and pointing him out to people out of hearing range. They all started creeping closer. "I wanted to thank you for your help. We couldn't have done this without it."

Essai shook his head as he began to cry. "Tifa said, but … I thought for sure … you're really real? You really did all this for us?"

"Essai …" Cloud reached out and cupped his cheek. What kind of hero had they built him up as? "I'm real, and I'm so grateful to you."

He gave a loud sob. "I'm too old. I don't know what they do with us when we get too old, but we never see them again. I was so scared. I didn't want to leave Sebastian all alone. Then Tifa said … she said you were coming. That you'd save us and that I wouldn't have to. She said you'd take care of Sebastian too. I didn't—I was so scared to believe it, but—"

"Shh, it's okay now." Cloud crouched and wrapped his arms around the two omegas. "We'll take care of both of you. You don't need to be scared anymore. Neither of you will be alone. But Essai, has anyone explained to you about mating?"

The omega shook his head. "Not other than what Tifa said. That alphas and omegas mate with each other, but I don't really know what she meant by it."

"Okay, can I sit down?" He sat next to Essai, and Sebastian cuddled up against his other side, going back to licking his scent glands. It was odd behaviour. If Sebastian were an alpha, he'd assume that he was preparing to mate. Tifa had told them that Essai and Sebastian had a sexual relationship, but that wouldn't lead to mating urges between them, would it?

Cloud quickly rethought his world view when he leaned in to inhale Essai's scent. The remaining blood on him had masked it, but the omega was definitely going into heat, despite it having just ended eight days ago when Tifa saw him to explain the plan. Sebastian pushed him aside and eased Essai down onto his back.

"Sorry, I don't … I think … feels like heat." Essai clutched tightly to Sebastian, looking confused, but definitely like he wanted the other omega there.

"Shh, it's okay. Sebastian, I need you to wait. Keep licking him if he likes it, but don't do anything more."

The silent omega glanced at him briefly, then went back to ignoring his presence. Cloud backed up and got on the radio. "I need to speak to Doctor Gast," he ordered.

"Yes, sir. It'll be a couple minutes to connect to him."

"I don't have a couple minutes; this is an emergency." He looked around the room and waved Cissnei over. "Essai's going into heat," he explained. "Go find a volunteer to mate him."

She looked at the bed and her eyes widened, then she nodded and ran out, shouting orders to the other Turks. In the brief moment he had looked away, Sebastian had gotten Essai out of his clothes and was in the process of undressing himself.

"Sebastian, I need you to wait," he repeated, but the omega wasn't listening. "Essai needs to mate. He needs an alpha."

He was considering whether or not he should pull Sebastian away when his radio crackled to life. "Cloud, Gast here, what's the problem?"

"Can an omega mate with another omega?" he asked quickly.

There was silence for a few moments, then the doctor replied. "I suppose it might be possible if the pair has a strong enough bond to begin with. What's the situation?"

Cloud explained as briefly as he could. "What should I do?"

"Let them proceed for now. Have an alpha ready to take over if it becomes apparent that it's not working. It might, however, and if they want to be together, I don't think we should deny them the chance to try. It would certainly be better than being stuck with a total stranger. Sebastian will have to use a dildo to knot him when the time comes, of course, and you might need to guide him. The alpha is always the one to initiate the mating, and so Sebastian might not know what to do."

"Okay, he has to bite first, right?"

"Correct, the alpha will bite as he's ejaculating, and then allow the omega to reciprocate when he begins to knot. It might be difficult to time, since being castrated means that Sebastian may not climax and probably won't ejaculate, but do your best to gauge when Essai is nearing needing the knot. It might help to have a mated alpha assisting as well."

"Okay, thank you. I'll keep you updated." He looked up as Zack ran in.

"Second Class Kunsel has volunteered, should I bring him in?"

"Not yet." He went over Gast's instructions as a few people set up some makeshift curtains around the pair, giving them some privacy. "Will you stay and help me?"

"Of course. Let me just tell Kunsel what's going on."

Cloud was greeted with a loud growl from Sebastian when he ducked around the curtain. Essai was fully lost in his heat, and Sebastian was already fucking him.

"It's okay, I'm not going to stop you, but I need to make sure that everything's okay."

Zack got growled at as well when he entered, but Sebastian was distracted again when Essai came.

"Fuck, I hope this works," Zack whispered. "I do _not_ want to have to force them apart."

It was an awkward wait. Though Cloud knew that neither of them really cared at the moment, he felt bad for watching what should have been a private event. Zack looked equally uncomfortable, but he was paying close attention despite it.

"Okay, I think it's about time," he said after over half an hour.

Cloud moved up to the head of the bed while Zack got the dildo ready. Essai had his neck exposed, but it seemed that Gast was right, and Sebastian didn't actually know what he needed to do.

"Sweetheart," he said softly, touching Sebastian's face to get his attention. "You need to bite him. He needs you to mate him."

He guided the omega's head down, but while he nuzzled and licked Essai's scent gland, he didn't bite.

"Shit, he's not—"

Sebastian suddenly cried out. His hips jerked like he was coming, and then he sunk his teeth into Essai's neck. Cloud glanced around to see that Essai had a couple fingers in Sebastian's ass, and he laughed in relief.

"Guess they learned to make do," he said to Zack.

"Thank fuck," Zack said. "We should've thought of prostate stimulation. Okay, good job, Sebastian. He needs a knot now, so ease up." Zack gently pulled Sebastian's hips back just far enough that he slipped out, then set the dildo at Essai's entrance and wrapped Sebastian's hand around it. "There you go, give him what he needs."

Sebastian let go of Essai's neck and pushed it into him, and Zack pressed the button to inflate it. The budding knot made Essai come again, and Cloud didn't have to guide Sebastian to expose his scent gland. The omega willingly tilted his head to the side and lifted Essai's head to him, cradling him gently as Essai reciprocated the bond. As soon as Essai let go, Sebastian shuffled up and slipped his new mate's erection into himself before cradling him close and beginning to purr in a remarkably similar manner to an alpha.

"Good job, you two," Zack murmured as he wrapped a blanket around them. "I don't have much experience in confirming these things, so we should probably get Tseng to make sure, but they both smell properly mated to me. Reversing their positions is probably helping mimic the connection they can't get while the dildo's in. Let's get them some water and something to eat, then give them some privacy."

Cloud emerged from the makeshift room to see that the dormitory had been cleared out, but Tifa was waiting with a tray of food and water.

"Is he okay?" she asked immediately.

"I think so. I think it worked."

"Oh, thank Gaia. When Cissnei said he'd gone into heat, I couldn't bear it if—He really does love Sebastian, so that's wonderful they can be together." She held out the tray. "Here. I'll contact Doctor Gast and let him know."

"Thanks, Tifa. Can you ask Tseng to come up as well when he has a minute? I think he's still in the nursery."

Sebastian remained silent, but Cloud was relieved to see him otherwise caring for Essai the way an alpha would. He tasted everything before giving it to his mate, but didn't eat or drink anything else until Essai had had enough and snuggled up with his eyes closed.

"Doing okay, Sebastian?" Cloud asked.

The omega looked up from his mate and nodded before exaggeratedly miming pulling Essai towards himself. Cloud wasn't certain what he meant, but took a guess.

"We're not going to separate you. You've set a new precedent, but you're mates now. Zack and I are going to continue to help you get him through his heat just to make sure that you know what to do, but we won't interfere."

Sebastian gave him a small smile, then kissed the top of Essai's head, stroking him gently.

"I'll leave you alone now, so try to rest a bit as well. You're doing a good job."


	19. Somebody's Hero

Reno glanced up when he heard the door open. "Everything okay?"

Rude nodded as he sat down next to him on the hard bench in the hospital corridor, looking exhausted and stressed out. "He's sleeping. There was the expected bruising and tearing, of course, but he's sleeping now. They're going to keep him at least overnight." He leaned around Reno and raised an eyebrow at Cloud, who was slumped over and snoring.

"Fucking asshole said he'd help me with this." Reno waved the clipboard that held the paperwork he had been filling out. "And approximately two milliseconds after we sat down, he passed out." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I called Sephiroth to come get him. I don't think he's slept more than a couple hours since the operation began."

"Why am I not surprised? What's the paperwork?"

"Tseng approved us to be foster parents, but we've still got to check all the boxes. I've marked everywhere you need to sign." He held out the clipboard and pen.

"Foster—for him?" Rude jerked his head towards the room he had just exited.

"If they're just keeping him overnight, he'll need somewhere to go after. Do you want to?"

Footsteps in the hall caught their attention, and they both looked up to see Sephiroth approaching. "Is Cloud—?"

"Right here. Put him the fuck to bed, would you? And keep him there for a good long while."

Sephiroth just chuckled as he scooped his mate up off the bench. Cloud barely stirred, and immediately went back to sleep when Sephiroth shushed him. "I'll do my best." He paused, looking at the fat envelope beside Reno. "Adoption?"

Rude was signing madly, like that would get the kid out of the hospital and home faster, so he felt confident in saying, "Probably. Fostering for now."

"I thought you didn't want kids?"

"I don't want to get pregnant or—" He shuddered. "Give birth. A pre-born kid who needs a family to love him is different. Cloud already claimed being the fun uncle."

Sephiroth frowned. "I'm fun too."

"Uh-huh. You keep telling yourself that."

"I am," he grumbled. "Let me know if you need anything."

Reno cackled evilly. "Oh good. I was wondering who would help Rude build furniture tomorrow."

Rude glanced up from the paperwork. "Furniture?"

"Should we make him sleep on the floor? The paperwork you're signing says we won't since you're apparently not reading it. Cloud and I ordered a bedroom set earlier. It's arriving tomorrow morning."

"I can probably help out with that," Sephiroth said. "Get some sleep yourselves."

"Yep, goodnight." Reno leaned against his mate as Sephiroth left. "You're not going to, are you?"

"I want to stay with him. He was so scared. If he wakes up …"

"I know." He shrugged and took the clipboard back, double-checking that everything was filled out properly. "Aren't sleepless nights a thing for new parents? I'll drop this off with Tseng and clear out the second bedroom. We'll have to come up with a name for him."

"I already did. When I was talking to him earlier, he wanted one, so … sorry. I didn't think—"

"Don't be sorry, yo. If he likes it, then it's good enough for me. What did you decide?"

Rude gave him a small smile. "Oliver. I always liked that name."

Reno crossed out the number at the top of the form and wrote 'Oliver' above it. "Perfect. All right, you stay with him, and I'll make sure everything's set up for him to come home. Don't worry about the furniture. If Sephiroth can't do it by himself, I'll rope someone else into helping. There's a slim possibility that I might even help if it gets desperate."

XXX

Cloud woke to an empty bed. That was always disappointing, but there was a note on Sephiroth's pillow saying that he was over at Rude and Reno's. "Oh, shit," he said to himself. He hoped Reno wasn't too annoyed about him falling asleep.

He rolled out of bed and was just putting the kettle on when the phone rang. "Please don't be an emergency," he begged as he picked it up. "Hello, Cloud speaking."

"Cloud, it's Jesse, how are you?"

"Jesse? Holy shit, it's been ages. I'm—well, it's been a bit crazy lately. How're you doing? How's everyone in Mideel?"

"We're all good, but we've seen the news. That's so fucked up."

"No kidding, I'm just so glad we found them. Though it's one of those things where I kinda wish I hadn't been right." Cloud set his tea steeping and bit back a groan when he looked at the clock. It was way later than he had thought. He was shocked that anyone had let him sleep so long. Sephiroth must have had a hand in it. "So, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"Well, I was actually already planning to call Tseng about some unrelated things when we first heard the news. I haven't been able to get through to him, though, and hoped you might be able to pass on a message."

"Sure, no problem."

"See, there's been another omega born here, and his parents were thinking about moving to Midgar. I like it here, but it was tough growing up and being the only one who was different. They realized that and thought it would be better to move. But then we saw what had happened and figured that there probably isn't extra space for a new family."

Cloud frowned. That was true, but he knew Rufus wouldn't turn them away, regardless. "I'm sure we'd be able to find somewhere for them."

"Yeah, maybe, but let's be realistic. You guys are overwhelmed. The latest report is saying that there were way more people than you had predicted. So we had a town meeting," Jesse hurried on before Cloud could insist. "We thought why not bring some more omegas here? If you guys will let us, we've got six families who are willing to adopt. They'd prefer babies or young ones, mostly 'cause we don't have the resources to deal with the sort of trauma the older ones would have."

Cloud sloshed tea everywhere as he scrambled for a pen. "Shit! Six, you said? Yes, I mean, I don't have the authority to say yes or no, but I guarantee the answer's yes. We're planning on group living for most of the older ones so they can stay with their friends and help support each other, but the little ones need families."

"That works out well, then. Biggs and I thought about adopting too, but the timing's kinda bad. That's the other reason I had been wanting to call Tseng. I'm pregnant and had hoped to be able to go to Midgar for it."

"Oh, shit, congrats!"

Jesse laughed. "Thanks, but yeah, shit timing. My doctor here is great, and she's studied up a ton on omegas, but she's not confident that she can deal with a pregnancy."

"Can't blame her for that. We're kinda weird. Hey, I'd have to double-check with Sephiroth, but why don't you and Biggs stay with us? We've got a spare bedroom, and I'm hoping to be able to get back out in the field once things settle down, so you'd have some privacy as well. You can pay us back by bringing a few pineapples for the 'bos with you."

"Really? That'd be great if you guys don't mind."

"I'm sure it'll be—oh, I think that's Sephiroth back. I'll ask him now."

The door unlocked and Sephiroth stepped in. Rage filled the alpha's expression when he saw him, however. "Who the fuck is on the phone? No one was supposed to disturb you!"

Cloud laughed and rolled his eyes. "It's Jesse, you butt. Should've just unplugged it if you were that concerned. Can he and Biggs stay here for his pregnancy?"

"He's pregnant?"

"Yeah, and would like a doctor who knows what they're doing. Is it okay with you?"

"I guess."

"He says he'd love it if you stayed with us."

"Is that what he said?" Jesse laughed. "Thanks so much. I'll talk with Biggs and call again to sort out the details."

"Great. And I'll get the ball rolling on those adoptions. You guys are amazing."

"Adoptions?" Sephiroth asked when he hung up the phone.

Cloud launched himself into Sephiroth's arms, feeling energized after all the heartache of the past few days. "Mideel's stepped up," he explained. "I've got to tell Tseng."

"It can wait until after lunch. Did you get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, and Jesse didn't actually wake me up, so don't be grumpy with him."

Sephiroth laughed. "All right. I was just following Reno's orders." He set Cloud down and went back to the door, returning with a note that had apparently been taped to it saying he would kill anyone who disturbed his mate unless it was a life or death emergency.

"Really?" Cloud asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You needed sleep."

XXX

The office was teeming with activity when he got in. Cloud paused in front of the screen that displayed their current orders and missions. It seemed like everyone who was available was being sent out to all corners of the planet. He found his own name and winced at the red letters indicating that he was overdue to report to Tseng.

"Why didn't you set an alarm, Sephiroth?" he groaned, then sprinted to Tseng's office.

"I'm so sorry, sir," he said as he entered. "I overslept."

Tseng just shook his head. "I wasn't about to pick a fight with Sephiroth. He doesn't get protective like that unless it's actually serious. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I'm sorry I can't give you more of a break, but we found the records they kept for sales of omegas, and we need to move quickly if we're going to be in time to save them."

"Of course. Where am I going?"

"That's up to you. I had you down for a location out east, but there was also a sale made to Nibelheim a couple years ago."

Cloud froze and had the sudden urge to go dig out his stethoscope from whatever box it had ended up in.

"You certainly don't have to, but Aerith wondered if it might not bring you some closure to be able to go back with the power of Shinra behind you."

Conflicted emotions raged through him. The scared little boy bottled up deep inside wanted nothing more than to scream for his mate to come rescue him from the mere thought of Nibelheim. The man he had become, however—the Turk who trusted his mate to have his back when he needed it, but knew that he could protect himself as well as others … he wanted to go back. He wanted to look them in the eyes and have them know that they didn't break him and that he wouldn't let them hurt anyone else.

"Has Rufus finalized the new measures?" he asked.

"Yes. We're holding off on a public announcement until we secure the rest of the omegas, but we're done with being nice. No matter where you decide to go, it will be with enough SOLDIERs to just kick the front door in. No negotiations, no payments, no tricks or sneaking around."

"I'll go to Nibelheim."

"I thought you might. Here's your mission outline. Your flight leaves in three hours."

"Yes, sir. Oh, before I forget, you need to call Jesse when you have a chance. Mideel is offering to adopt six omegas."

Tseng blinked in surprise. "Fuck, that would help a ton. I'll call him right away."

Cloud bumped into Sephiroth in the hall on his way back home to get his gear ready. He was carrying a similar mission folder.

"Are you okay with this?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yes. Honestly, I think I need it. I might cry, though."

"I'll pack tissues and a shoulder to cry on."

Cloud laughed and slid his arm around Sephiroth's waist. "Thank you."

XXX

Cloud's nerves were strung like a wire as the helicopter set down. He didn't remember much of what the town looked like, but it didn't seem like much had changed to him. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if they would have even gotten the news about the Honeybee. He couldn't see any antennas for TVs or radios.

The helicopter attracted attention, and Cloud watched people begin to come out of their homes to see what was happening. That was good.

"That's the house I was kept in, over there." Cloud pointed it out to the five additional SOLDIERs who had accompanied them. "I'll check there first. Looks like everyone's coming out to stare at the magic flying machine. I want you to keep them outside so they don't have a chance to hide or kill the omega."

"Yes, sir," they said.

He glanced over at Tifa, who was double-checking her megaphone and going over her script. "Ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be. Maybe dear old dad will figure out why I left."

"Don't count on it."

The helicopter touched down and Cloud stood. Sephiroth gave his hand a tight squeeze, and they stepped out together. The SOLDIERs fanned out, drawing their blades, and Sephiroth shouted.

"Everyone is to remain where they are while we conduct an emergency search of the town. Do not interfere."

Cloud ignored the questioning shouts and made his way to his old house. The door creaked loudly on its hinges and opened on an all too familiar room. The roof seemed to have developed a leak, and he stepped carefully around the stagnant water that had pooled in the sagging floorboards. Lurking behind the stench of mould was the scent of an omega. He opened the bedroom door.

A young omega, whose face had been pressed against the window trying to see out, whipped around. "I'm sorry, sir—who are you?"

"Hey, there. My name's Cloud. I used to live here."

"Here?"

"In this very room. I have to say … I didn't miss it. Do you like it here?"

The omega stilled with a wary expression. Cloud guessed he was around Luke's age, but his dark brown eyes looked much older, with fear lurking in their depths.

"It's okay if you don't. I hated it." Cloud moved slightly closer, feeling relieved at the omega's outward appearance. He was in much better condition than Luke, at least, and looked better fed than he had been. The omega seemed to catch his scent and gave a curious sniff.

"Are you an omega too?"

"I am, and you can trust me not to hurt you. Even if you say something like Mayor Lockheart is more disgusting than one of those slugs that come out of the shower drain in summer. You know the ones, don't you?"

The omega gave a tiny laugh that he quickly stifled. He frowned for a moment. "You said your name's Cloud?"

"Yeah, that's right. Do you have a name?"

The boy shook his head. "Mr. Lockheart, though … sometimes he calls me Cloud when he punishes me or fucks me. Did you really live here?"

Cloud felt the blood drain from his face and fought not to be sick. It took a moment to gather his composure and answer. "I did, and I got away to a place where no one has the right to hurt me. Do you want to get away too?"

"I—I—how?"

"By coming with me. My friends and I found out that you were here and came to get you, if you want to go. That's what all the commotion outside is. We'll take you to a place called Midgar where you can be safe and cared for. No more getting punished or fucked by people you don't want touching you."

He glanced past Cloud towards the door as though checking that no one was listening in before stating with surprising confidence, "I don't like it here."

"Then let's get the hell out. This room is _not _bringing back pleasant memories for me." Cloud held out his hand and the omega took it. "Anything you want to bring? We'll get you set up with everything you need, but if there's anything sentimental you have, let's bring it."

"Oh, I do!" He scurried over to the bed and dug his fingers into a hole in the side of the mattress. A few seconds later, he pulled out a smooth whitish rock. "My friend from before I was sent here gave it to me."

"Let's keep it safe, then." He took the boy's hand again and led him outside, where it looked like violence was about to erupt at any second. Sephiroth was facing down an angry-looking group of people with his sword drawn, and Lockheart was yelling at Kunsel, who stood blocking access to the helicopter with Tifa in it. He stopped once he noticed Cloud and the omega.

"Get your disgusting hands off my property!" he screamed, barrelling towards them.

"Nothing to worry about, you're safe now, so don't be frightened." Cloud drew his sword, bringing the unarmed man to a stop a good distance from him. "What? Are you scared of me now that I can fight back? Go ahead. I'm allowed to kill you if you try to lay a finger on me. You're never touching this omega, or anyone else again. Not if you want to live. He's not anybody's property."

Fingers clutched tightly at his jacket, and Cloud pulled the trembling omega closer, tucking him into his side. He felt strange. He thought he would be scared, or at least angry, but he just felt a bit tired. All he really wanted to do was get the omega away.

"I had a lot I wanted to say to you. I thought of so many things on the trip over. Seeing you now, though … you're not worth it. I've wasted enough of my life being scared of you, and I'm not going to waste any more of it acting like you're worthy of my attention. Come on, kiddo, he's not worth your time, either."

He felt Sephiroth's eyes on him, watching his back as he led the omega to the helicopter and lifted him up into it.

"My turn?" Tifa asked while hopping down nimbly.

"Have at it."

She picked up her megaphone and smiled at the omega. "I'm going to do a bit of shouting before we can go, but it's nothing to be scared of. Just sit tight with Cloud, and we'll be out of this nightmare and on our way before you know it."

"That's Tifa," Cloud explained as he got the omega settled. "She used to live here too, but ran away because everyone was so awful. She works helping omegas now. Here, have a snack while we wait. Have you had chocolate before?"

Tifa, with Kunsel escorting her, climbed the water tower in the centre of town. "May I have your attention, please," she said into the megaphone. "The city-states of Midgar and Junon, and the Kingdom of Wutai have declared a global state of emergency. In order to curtail the pandemic abuse of omegas, the following laws are now in place worldwide."

Cloud tuned out the list of laws that had been developed in what had been a fairly joint effort between Wutai and Midgar and broke off a piece of a chocolate bar for the omega to try instead. They were strict, with mandatory registration of pregnancies and births at the regional outposts that were already being put into place across the globe, strict border security to prevent smuggling omegas, and random inspections that basically stripped people of any right to privacy. Midgar's laws regarding sexual assault were being expanded globally as well, along with their punishments.

He knew that there had been a lot of debate about whether or not they were going too far when it was just hypothetical, but after seeing the Honeybee and the atrocities that had happened there, Cloud wondered if it was far enough. He didn't care much about politics, and the arguments people brought up with words like authoritarianism and tyranny didn't mean much to him. He just wanted a world where it was safe to be an omega.

Tifa continued to shout over the protesting yells. "The Neo Shinra Electric Power Company and the Royal Army of Wutai will be enforcing the new laws without hesitation. Failure to comply will result in fines, jail time, or execution depending on the nature of the violation. As this is the second abused omega to be removed from the town of Nibelheim, your governing council is hereby stripped of all its powers and a regional outpost will be put in its place. Members of SOLDIER will remain as a temporary governing body until the outpost is established."

She paused and took a breath before raising the megaphone again. "We understand that these are drastic measures, but they are necessary for the prevention of abuse. We seek peace and prosperity for all genders, and encourage everyone to step forward as globally-minded citizens. The Neo Shinra Electric Power Company has proven time and time again that it is willing to support rural areas that accept omegas and allow them to thrive. It is up to you, as a community, to decide whether or not you wish to join us in our prosperous future or be left to wither and die."

With that, she jumped down and made her way back to the helicopter.

"And now that that's over with, let's bring you home," Cloud said. "You're going to like it a lot, I know I sure did."

"What's it like?"

"Like nothing you can imagine. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it."

Cloud let the omega cuddle up next to him and described his first impressions of Midgar as best he could while Sephiroth sorted out which SOLDIERs would be staying behind and ensured that they had the supplies they needed. His eyes slipped shut as Cloud spoke, and Tifa draped a blanket over his shoulders.

"You okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah." She gave a tired sigh. "I know he … but I'm glad that they're not retroactively enforcing the penalties, even if that makes me a horrible person."

"You're not. It doesn't mean you think what he did was okay, but he's still your father. I'm glad that the Honeybee fell under Junon's jurisdiction and therefore Midgar's laws so we can manage some justice that way, but I do understand not wanting to lose your family."

"No more chances, though. If he … I'll kill him myself if he ever so much as looks at another omega." Tifa looked down at the omega snuggled at his side. "He's about Luke's age. Do you think they might know each other?"

"It's definitely possible considering the way the dorm system worked. We're going to need to make sure all these rescues have a chance to meet up with each other."

"Does he have a name?"

Cloud shook his head. "No. I was wondering if he might like Denzel, though. That was the name of the omega who inspired me to become a Turk. I keep thinking about how the older ones at the Honeybee passed their names on to the next generations, and I can't help but think that he might have wanted to do the same."

"What was he like?"

"No idea," Cloud said with a touch of bitterness. "He was dead before I ever knew he existed. I like to think that he's still out there somewhere, watching. That he knows he at least gave me the push I needed to realize what I needed to do. That his death wasn't meaningless."

XXX

The dark sky seemed to match the mood of the crowd gathered around the large platform that had been constructed in front of the courthouse. It seemed appropriate for the task of the day, but Sephiroth did hope it wouldn't rain. That would just be miserable. He looked over his sword and tested its edge.

"I still think you should go with one of the shitty practice blades," Genesis said.

"Much as I hate to stain Masamune with their filth, a SOLDIER's job is to kill monsters, not torture them."

Rufus stepped up to the podium, looking grim. "Good morning. We are here today to witness the executions of the criminals behind the sex-trafficking ring known as the Honeybee Inn. We hope that the deaths today serve as a warning to the world. The abuse of omegas will not be tolerated, and these are the consequences should anyone choose to do so. Let us begin.

"Prisoner number one, for the crimes of murder, rape, torture, and human trafficking, you have been sentenced to death by beheading. Step forwards."

Sephiroth stepped up to the execution block as the first prisoner was dragged forwards. He looked up and found where Cloud was sitting, cradled in Tseng's lap. Cloud met his eyes, nodded, then turned his face away to hide it in Tseng's jacket. Good. While he appreciated Cloud's support in coming, he didn't actually want him watching. Cloud was too kind of a person to be able to watch this sort of thing, and Tseng had promised to take him out if it got too upsetting for him.

The prisoner was slammed down on his knees and bent over the block by two SOLDIERs, who held him still as he screamed in protest. Sephiroth stared straight into the camera that was broadcasting this to the world, then raised Masamune and in one quick slice, sent his head rolling. The SOLDIERs hauled the body away, and Rufus spoke again.

"Prisoner number two, for the crimes of murder, rape, torture, and human trafficking, you have been sentenced to death by beheading. Step forwards."

He appreciated that Rufus had decided that they wouldn't publicize anyone's name. The idea of them dying in anonymity seemed like an added bit of justice for all the omegas who had died alone and unnamed after a life of suffering. He only knew that Corneo would be last, and that number sixteen was the man who had forced Tifa to have sex with him for an invitation to the Honeybee. When his turn came, Sephiroth swung his blade ever so slightly slower, hoping he could really feel it cutting through him.

The platform was soaked in blood and the afternoon was wearing on by the time the last prisoner was called forwards. Corneo was sobbing and still trying to bribe them through the blubbering. When the SOLDIERs forced him to his knees, a dark stain spread on his pants. Sephiroth just scoffed. Of course the biggest monster was the biggest coward.

"Get him down. Let's put an end to his miserable existence."

He raised his sword and swung, but at the last moment, tilted it just a hair, and it lodged in the man's vertebrae instead of cutting cleanly. Corneo screamed and pissed himself again. "Oops," he said. "He must have moved. Make sure you hold him still."

He kept the second swing clean, and Corneo's head joined the pile. Genesis raised an eyebrow at him when he turned away.

"My arm was getting tired."

"Of course. Thanks."

Sephiroth just nodded and left the platform. There was a car waiting to take him back to HQ to clean up, and he didn't even notice that Cloud was in it until he was hugging him.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked.

"I …" He took a deep breath, trying to block out the smell of blood and just focus on Cloud's scent. "I will be. It needed to be done."

"I have a shoulder and some tissues if you need them. Crying doesn't mean you're not brave."

He took another breath and relaxed, feeling safe with his mate. "Thank you, love."

XXX

Cloud duly clapped along with everyone else when Rufus's speech finally wrapped up, then flopped his head down on Sephiroth's shoulder. "Is it wrong to feel like a fraud?"

Sephiroth started to say something, but he was interrupted by Reno, who was seated at his other side and smacked him lightly over the head.

"Of course it is, dumbass. If you don't want your trophy, give it to me and I'll use it as a paperweight, but don't try to invalidate what you did. If you don't think that saving hundreds of lives—thousands if we consider how many more would have suffered and died if it had continued—if you don't think that's worthy of note, then you're also saying that Tifa, Essai, and all the other people who sacrificed and put their lives on the line didn't do anything worthy, either."

"I didn't—"

"I agree with Reno." Sephiroth kissed his temple to take the sting out of his words. "You told me all those years ago that you wanted to be a hero. Well, you are one. Accept it. I want the paperweight though."

Cloud laughed and ran his fingers over his name that was engraved in the gold statue of an omega symbol. "Nah, it's my paperweight. Sorry, it's just been draining."

"No kidding. That was what, three weeks of nonstop rescues? Then the executions. Sorry I couldn't help with any of it."

"Don't even think that. Oliver needed you and Rude with him. How's he doing?"

Reno gave a thoughtful bob of his head. "Better than he was. Still a long way to go. His therapist has him drawing to work on expressing his feelings. He's got a lot of feelings about penises that involve a lot of scribbling over them in black. Sometimes red. Sometimes both. Depends on his mood. But he also likes to draw Rude scaring his nightmares away—that's what alpha-dads do best, see."

Cloud gave a small laugh. "That'd be cute if it wasn't for such an awful reason."

"And he's warming up to me," Reno said proudly. "The other night he got anxious while Rude was taking a dump and came to me for comfort. He even stayed with me once Rude got out of the bathroom."

"That's awesome!"

"Rude's always going to be his favourite, I know, but it's nice to start being a bit more than the guy who sometimes takes away Rude's attention."

Sephiroth reached over and squeezed Reno's shoulder. "You're going to be a great dad."

Reno huffed indignantly. "Of course I am! I raised Cloud, didn't I? And he's a fuckin' hero now! He's got a paperweight and everything! Ollie's gonna be just fine."

Cloud couldn't help but laugh as Sephiroth sputtered. He supposed that, in a way, Reno did raise him. And he'd done a far better job of it than anyone in Nibelheim.

He looked up to see Tifa approaching with Luke and Denzel on either side of her. The omega from Nibelheim had been thrilled to get a name, and recalling how happy he had been when he recognized the friend who had given him his stone had helped with the heartache of the unsuccessful missions. The two had moved into an apartment with Tifa, and Luke appeared to be finally starting to come out of his shell in the new environment.

"Can we see your trophy too, Cloud?" Luke asked.

"Sure." Cloud handed it over and held out arms. Luke immediately sat and snuggled up, while Denzel sat down with Sephiroth.

"Feeling left out? Want to cuddle with me, Tifa?" Reno asked.

She rolled her eyes in response as the two omegas compared his trophy to Tifa's.

"Does this mean that you've rescued all the omegas now?"

Cloud sighed. "That would be wonderful, but no, I think we've still got a lot of work to do. One day, though, I really hope we won't need to anymore."

"Then what will you do?"

"Hmm …" Cloud rested his chin on Luke's shoulder and thought. "Sephiroth once promised he'd be my sugar daddy and let me live a lazy life in the lap of luxury …"

"I don't think that's quite what I promised!"

He laughed. "But you know, I think it might be fun to be a chocobo jockey. What do you think? Could Dancer and I beat Teioh and Joe in a race? Will you guys come to the Gold Saucer to cheer for me?"

XXX

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone for reading and especially to the commenters. Your support is why I post. I wasn't terribly confident when I first decided to share this, so the positive response was really overwhelming and appreciated. It's great seeing the fandom pick back up again. I hope you enjoyed the ending. Wrapping things up is always so hard!

I'm not sure what I'm going to work on next. I have a short AU that's pretty much complete, and I finally finished replaying Might and Magic 8 so I could remember how it ends—I have a terrible memory and kind of doubt I ever actually played it in the first place. The Endless Ocean needs some editing thanks to that, but I think I'll be able to get it finished soon. It's been in limbo for far too long. I also really want to finish my space whores AU. I got it unstuck, but hate the direction it went after unsticking. Arrgh!

Anyway, thanks again for your support. I love you all and wish you the best. Stay safe!


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